Teen Titans: Blood, Earth and Shade
by The Omakeer
Summary: Vamp fic. Slightly AU. Vampires need threesome relationships for emotional balance. Now all Raven needs is a third person. Rated for future Lemons. PLEASE REVIEW.
1. Homecoming

Author's Notes: 7198 words, this is officially the longest chapter I have ever written, YAY me. I hope I can break this record on one of the later chapters. As you should already know this is a Teen Titans fic and my first multi-chaptered one, one that I hope will last for a long time. I've only seen the first season of the Teen Titans cartoon (I got the DVD's from America) and I got all my info/inspiration from the original DC comics, Teen Titans Go comics, and so please excuse any OCCness.

This fic takes place after the episode 'Terra' from season 2 (I know I haven't seen the episodes up to then but I like a challenge), but instead of leaving and shacking up with Slade, Terra stayed with the Titans and became a full member. There will be more info about where this fic is heading and the pairing at the end of this chap, DON'T SKIP THOUGH as there are spoilers for this chapter there. Enjoy.

Teen Titans: Blood, Earth and Shade

Author: The Omakeer

Disclaimer: Teen Titans is too good for kids, if I owned it, it would be targeted at a more adult audience. But unfortunately I don't, so I'll take out my frustrations on this fic instead.

Chapter One: Homecoming

It was five o'clock in the morning in Jump City and the sun had not yet risen. Most of the Titans were still in their warm beds in Titans Tower, dreaming dreams of driving through the country side, being mobbed by hormone crazed fan girls or swimming in rivers of mustard with overgrown maggots. Everyone was still sound asleep, everyone except for the Titans resident empath. Raven pushed herself up into a sitting position and rubbed sleep from her eyes. Stretching out her powers, she turned on the lamps around her bedroom and pulled back the covers. Stripping off her pyjamas, the dark Goth made her way into her bathroom to take her early morning shower.

This morning was Ravens turn to make breakfast; she liked to make sure she got there before the others so she could everything set up. With Starfire floating around her offering to help and Beast Boy popping into the kitchen area every five seconds asking 'is it ready yet?' it saved time in the long run to have everything she need ready on the kitchen counter.

The rest of the Titans were never as much trouble. Cyborg would only ask how long until it was ready once, witch was surprising as he would often eat twice as much as the rest of the Titans put together, and then sit down at the table and wait. He would also get the others out from under her feet, and though she had never said it out loud, Raven really appreciated that. Terra on the other hand was a great help in the kitchen, as apposed to Starfire who was often more of a hindrance, and would happily make the daily supply pancakes, which was never one of Ravens strong points.

Robin was the odd one out. He would walk in, say good morning to her, sit at the table, pour himself a glass of orange juice and then open one of the morning papers. And that was it. He knew without asking that breakfast was would be ready when it was ready, and that any offer of help would be politely, but firmly, turned down. Raven had to admit that she really liked that about the Boy Wonder, he always knew what she wanted without having to ask. Whether it was giving her, her privacy or getting the others to back off. He did it almost instinctively. And unlike her fellow Titans, he never questioned her about her past, even though she knew that if he wanted to know, he'd be able to find out quite easily, whether she wanted him to or not. This scared the young empath slightly, as she knew that if she tried to learn anything about him she would get next to nothing. Even if she was willing to invade his privacy with a mind probe, with all his mental training and the psychic dampeners in his costume, she'd have to catch him when he let his guard down, which he hadn't done as long as she'd known him.

Raven shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts; it wasn't a good idea to think about Robin to much, especially when she was in the shower. Thankfully she wouldn't have to worry about him this morning, or the questions that he raised just by being in the same room as her. Robin had been called back to Gotham City almost six weeks ago. A gang war had erupted in the city and Batman had called back all of his agents to help him quell it. The Titans had offered to go to help out, but apparently Batman only trusted this task to his own people to handle this task, the Justice League wasn't even asked to help. So Robin packed up his bird-a-rangs, hopped on his motor bike, and headed off to Gotham, saying he'd be back a soon as possible, and hopefully still in one piece.

Raven finished her shower and looked at her dripping form in the bathroom mirror. She noticed she was starting to look more pail than usual. She would have to go out tonight before the others started to notice. She was again thankful that Robin wasn't in the Tower, as he would most likely notice straight away, and that would bring up questions she didn't really want to answer.

Raven stepped back into her bedroom and stretched. As she didn't have any clean towels until the laundry was done this afternoon she decided to drip dry, walking over to her closet to get out her uniform for the day. She was just thinking about what would have to be made for breakfast when there was a knock at the bedroom door.

The dark Goth instinctively pushed out her senses to detect who was knocking, but all she could sense was the residual psychic energy coming from Terra's room across the hall. Raven pushed them out even further, just to make sure Beast Boy wasn't just knocking on the door and running and hiding around the corner when another knock rang out.

'Terra,' Raven thought, a small smile playing across her lips, 'it has to be. She said she was going to practice how to block her presence from my senses after our last training session. I didn't think she'd get this good so soon.'

Feeling in a slightly playful mood, Raven decided to give the young geomancer a little shock. Walking to the door in all her naked glory, she pushed the button to open the door fully and stood there with a slight smirk on her face. Once it had slid open all the way, Raven's smirk turned to a look of utter horror.

Leaning in the door way, with one arm wrapped around his side and a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder, was Robin. His eye line travelled down the length of her body and then back up to meet her eyes, "good morning Raven, how're you doing?" he asked.

A number of small explosions could be heard somewhere in the Tower, breaking Raven from her stupor. A little to late, Raven tried to cover herself with her hands, turning round and running into her bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Raven leaned against the bathroom door, breathing heavily and clutching her chest, her heart beating a mile-a-minute. The emotions in her head were screaming suggestions at her on what the next course of action should be, the loudest being Embarrassment, who thought it best to curl up into a ball and die quietly. After mentally reciting her mantra, and taking a few steadying breaths, Raven opened the door slightly and took a peak.

Robin was simply standing in the bedroom doorway, staring at the bathroom door, looking for the entire world as though he was just waiting to be invited in. Ravens eyes narrowed slightly as Anger spoke up, 'how dare he stand there as though nothing happened after causing us such embarrassment.' Raven agreed completely, it didn't even cross her mind that she would have been even angrier if he had left. Steeling her resolve and burying her embarrassment, the young empath put on her dressing gown, exited the bathroom and stalked over to the Boy Wonder.

"What do you want Robin?" asked Raven, her voice trembling slightly, she wasn't sure if it was because of anger or embarrassment.

Robin gave the empath a soft smile, before removing his hand from his side and showing it was covered in his own blood, "I ran in to a little trouble on my way back into the city, I was hoping you might be willing to heal me."

Raven's anger and embarrassment instantly evaporated and were replaced by concern and slight panic, "come in and let me take a look at that." Moving across the room she pulled the chair out from her desk and set it up in the middle of the room, "you're going to have to take your top off so I can see your wound better."

Entering the room, Robin dropped his bag near the doorway and started top unclip his costume. His cape and gloves were placed on top of the duffle bag; these were quickly followed by the red body armour and green under shirt. Once that was done with he sat reverse style on desk chair, leaning forward against its back so that Raven could have access to his wound.

'Wow,' thought Raven, 'Robin has a nice body.' She blushed slightly at the sight of Robin's physic, cursing all the gods she knew of that her dressing gown didn't have a hood, yet thanking them that he had his back to her. Without the body armour, Raven could really appreciate the shape of Robin's body. He wasn't bulging with muscles like Aqua Lad or other superheroes of the age. Strong and muscular, but not enough to impede his speed and agility, his was the body of an athlete.

'No,' Raven though, 'not an athlete, a warrior.' From the brief look she got of his chest and abs, and the clear view of the Boy Wonder's back, Robin had a lot of battle scars. Raven had to admit that she was shocked by them, especially the bullet wounds near his shoulders. She sometimes forgot that Robin was human. Raven knew most girls would probably find his scared body unattractive, but she liked it. The thought of the Boy Wonder having this rugged, dangerous side was strangely alluring to the dark Goth.

Raven shook the though from her head and began to examine Robin's injury, "Robin, there's a throwing star lodged in your back," she commented, "Why didn't you take it out yourself?"

"It's blocking most of the blood flow," Robin answered, "if I had pulled it out at the scene I probably would have bled to death before I made it back to the tower. And to answer your next question, twenty guys in florescent green ninja costumes seemed to think it was a good idea to rob the bank at five in the morning. One of them managed to get a lucky shot in."

"Florescent green ninjas?" Raven asked, a little irritated that Robin knew what she was thinking but still finding the idea of glow in the dark ninjas too hard to believe, "isn't the whole point of a ninja to be hard to see?"

"Heh," Robin chuckled, "I've seen a worse ideas, often more than three times in the same night."

"I don't know what's worse, if you're joking or if you're telling the truth," Raven gripped the exposed part of the star between her fingers, "this might sting a little," she pulled the star out quickly, Robin didn't even flinch. Raven pressed her hand on the wound to lessen the blood flow, as her hands began glowing with healing magic, "this might take a couple of minutes Robin," he simply nodded in response.

An uncomfortable silence took over as Raven worked her mojo; neither one of them was sure what to talk about. Eventually Robin's sense of duty took over, "how has everything been whilst I've been away? Are the others okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's been fine," Raven answered, grateful for a break in the silence, "Cyborg's mostly been working in his garage, adding improvements to the T-Car and himself. On the few crimes we've had to stop he's tried to lead, but… most of the time he actually deferred to me."

"It's what I would do if I were him," Robin said truthfully.

Raven tried to suppress another small blush before continuing, "Well Beast Boy's pretty much the same, I doubt he'd even noticed you'd left."

"Heh, typical Beast Boy."

"He and Starfire have actually started attending the local high school," Raven added.

"High school?" Robin asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, we got the Justice League to set it up for them so they're allowed to leave if there's an emergency. Starfire's doing it so she can learn more about earth culture, but I think Beast Boy's doing it to 'score with hot chicks' as he'd put it."

"Ha ha, good for them," Robin smiled. "As long as it doesn't interfere with their duties then good luck to them."

"Starfire was a bit depressed about you leaving for awhile," Raven added, "at least, she was until we convinced Aqua Lad to come in and cover for you. She's been spending most of her free time with him actually. Looks like you might have some competition for Star's affection," Raven smirked.

"Heh, out of sight out of mind huh?" Robin chuckled softly so as not to disturb Raven's work, "maybe she'll give me a little space now."

'What?' Raven thought, slightly confused, "but I though you had a thing for Starfire?"

Robin turned his head slightly to look at young empath, "what gave you that idea?"

"Well…" Raven thought about the question before answering, "You two talk all the time about a lot of different things, Starfire's always telling you about her day and you seem to go out of your way to try to save."

"Okay first of all; I save her a lot because she's the one that gets in the most danger, I'd do the same for anyone else on the team if they were the same. Second; she talks at me, not with me, I doubt I'd be able to get a word in edge ways. And third; I… well… don't tell any of the others but… I kind of just tune her out."

"What?" asked Raven in a disbelieving tone.

"I'm not exactly proud of it," he said, shaking his head, "but she does kind of repeat herself a lot, and if you think about it, all those times she talked to me, all I ever said is 'uh huh', 'okay' and 'sure'."

Raven quickly searched through her memories, she soon discovered he was telling the truth. The young empath smirked again, "can I tell you something Robin?" he nodded in response, "I pretty much do the same thing." Robin openly chuckled, "so you've never thought about dating Star?"

"Would you date her?" Robin didn't give her chance to reply, "No, I mean, I like Star, she's a great friend but…"

The Boy Wonder seemed to be having trouble finding a suitable answer, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want too Robin," Raven said after watching his verbal struggle, "I was just trying to make conversation, we don't…"

"No… no it's okay Raven I don't mind," Robin said, a small look of realisation showing on his face, "Starfire is… honestly, more like a little sister to me. I look out for her a lot because I have this pathological need to protect the innocent, and she's probably the most innocent person I've ever met. But… sometimes her happiness is too intense you know, she obviously has never felt any real misery before, she doesn't know what true pain is. And I come from Gotham for god's sake, misery and pain are our chief exports, after psychotic villains and moody vigilantes," Raven chuckled at that. "No… any girl I have a relationship with would have to know the same kind of… darkness I do, at least then she could appreciate the good times we'd have together more."

A whisper of a smile appeared on Raven's face, what Robin had unintentionally said made her happier than she thought it would, "you're being more open about yourself than usual Robin, what's changed?"

A smirked graced the Boy Wonder's face, "well… I've always wanted the two of us to be closer Raven, have us learn a bit more about each other. And since I've already seen you naked, I figured you should learn more about OW…" Raven's blush lit up her face as she dug her fingers into Robin's still open wound, twisting a little.

"If you EVER tell anyone about that, I'll… I'll…" Raven's angry rant was quickly interrupted.

"OW… Raven, I was just kidding. Besides, I'd never tell anyone about that. What you do or say around me stays with me," Robin held up his hands in surrender, "you can trust me Raven. I have never, and will never, tell anyone what I know about you."

'"Have never?" ' Raven shook the thought from her head. For some reason she knew she could trust Robin, maybe more than even he knew, but it would take more time for her to be absolutely sure about him. Raven removed her fingers from his cut and returned her focus to healing Robin's wound, "okay Robin, just… change the subject will you?"

"Sure Raven," Robin put his hands back on his knees, "so how's Terra doing? Is she holding up okay?"

Another small smile appeared on Raven's face, "she's doing fine, great even. I've actually been helping her learn to focus her powers, helping her to find her centre. It's been hard but we've finally gotten there."

"'We've' finally gotten there?" asked Robin.

"Yeah, 'we've', we kind of help each other to keep our focus. It's even allowed me express my emotions a bit more without causing too much damage to the tower. That's why she moved into the room across the hall, if our powers ever do get out of control, we can get to each other quickly and minimise the overall damage we might cause. We've become friends, very good friends."

A comfortable silence settled in, each of them feeling strangely calm in the others company. Eventually Raven decided to pick up the conversation again, "so how was your holiday?"

"It wasn't a holiday Raven, I was working," answered Robin, sounding slightly offended.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, jokingly, "we heard all about the gang wars on the news. A couple of times we almost jumped in the T-Car to come and help out, but--"

"Don't worry about it, most superheroes don't last 5 minutes in Gotham on a good day. Hell, Superman usually only stays for an hour before he flies off back to Metropolis, and even then he only goes there to talk to Batman."

Raven raised an eyebrow, "it can't really be that scary can it?"

"Heh, you want to hear scary? Remind me to tell you some of my Joker stories some time then you'll hear scary."

Without the psychic dampeners that were present in his body amour, Raven could sense some of Robin's emotions seeping out. Besides the discomfort of talking about his home town, she could also sense a great sadness, something that he had recently dealt with, but was still aching his heart. A part of Raven told her to ignore it, that if he wanted to talk about it, he would. But a larger part of her had to check, to see if he was the one. Him telling her how he could only be with someone who knew what pain was and the fact that she felt she could trust him pushed her to ask, "What aren't you telling me Robin?"

Robin's shoulders hunched and his head lowered, he was silent for a full minute before he answered, "My dad died."

The bottom instantly dropped out of Raven's stomach and her blood turned to ice, for once her emotions weren't shouting suggestions. Not sure on what she should do, the young empath put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Robin, I didn't mean too--"

"It's okay Raven," Robin said, raising his own hand and squeezing hers affectionately, "I've done all my crying in Gotham. He was actually my adoptive father, I never met my real parents, but… he was still my dad you know."

"How… how did he… I mean if you don't want to tell me I…" Raven mumbled.

"No, it's okay," Robin rubbed his face and ran his hand through his hair, "about a week after I got to Gotham, one of Batman's vigilante agents went missing. We tried to find her, but with all the shootings and everything going on we didn't have much spare time on our hands. Unfortunately it turned out she was captured by some wannabe super villain. He tortured her for information," Robin paused as Raven gasped, "If that wasn't bad enough she knew who I am when I'm out of costume. Once he found out who I was and where I lived he went straight to my home, I'm guessing to try and get me to tell him who Batman is.

"My dad was ready though. When the guy came in through the window he got six bullets in the chest. But even though he was bleeding to death he still managed to stab my dad through the heart." Robin let out a dejected sigh, "I know that I couldn't have stopped it from happening and I know that if I had been there I might have been killed too but that still doesn't mean that…" Robin almost jumped out of his skin when Raven's arm wrap around his chest, the side of her head pressing against his back, "R-Raven?"

"I'm just… are you going to be okay?" she asked in as soft a tone as she could manage.

"Yeah, yeah I will be Raven…" Robin said, smiling a soft smile and rubbing her arms, "thank you."

They stayed as they were for several more minutes, simply holding each other. Again, Robin was the first to speak up, "Raven… my injury still hurts."

"Oh… right," Raven begrudgingly let go of Robin and put her hands back to work healing. She sat in silence for a few minutes before getting the nerve to speak up, "you know, I think I might know more about you than you do about me now. Do you have any questions you want to ask me?"

"Erm… okay," Robin was quiet for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck, "can I really ask you anything?"

"Anything."

"Really?"

"Robin," Raven said sternly.

"Okay," Robin went quiet again, before asking, "When did you last feed?"

"Well, I plan on starting breakfast once I'm done with--"

"No Raven, I mean when was the last time you had any blood?"

Raven's blood turned to ice for the second time that night, "Wh… what… how… you…"

"I'm only asking because you look slightly more pale than usual," Robin turned his head to the side to get a glance of Raven, "I can't have a member of my team being ill now can I."

A millions fears and questions ran through Raven's head. How did he find out? How did he find out she was a Vampire? She had always been so careful, only a handful of people knew she was a Vampire, and most them were either vampires themselves or knew about their existence. She had only ever told one person in her personal or professional life about herself, and it certainly wasn't Robin. "How… how did you--?"

"Find out?" finished Robin, smiling a comforting smile, "well I am a detective you know." Seeing Raven's fear and confusion he continued, "Well… about a week before I left for Gotham I couldn't get to sleep, it was about four in the morning and I decided to go out on patrol in to the city, make sure none of the late night clubbers were getting into trouble. Well… when I was swinging past one of the clubs I saw you, feeding off one of the kids."

Raven was in a state of shock, she had always believed that if any of the other Titans saw her feeding they would try and attack her, possibly even try to kill her. But here was Robin, talking about her eating habits as if he couldn't careless. "Why… why didn't you--?"

"Try and stop you?" Robin finished again, "I don't claim to know everything about vampires, but Batman taught me enough to know that they don't kill those they feed off. Plus, I saw you healing the guy after you were done, so any fear of you being a blood thirsty monster evaporated then and there."

Raven didn't know what to say. Robin, the Titan she feared telling the most, wasn't rejecting her like she believed he would. He was… accepting her. 'That settles it,' she thought, 'he has to be the one.'

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Raven," Robin said, misinterpreting her silence, "you don't have to talk about--"

"No… no it's okay," Raven said, feeling the sudden urge to open up to the Boy Wonder, "I said you could ask anything, I was just a little surprised that you knew is all."

"Well like I said I'm not an expert on vampires, I still have a few questions. That is, if you don't mind me asking."

Raven let out a heavy sigh and a small smile, "I think I'd like for someone else to know about this part of my life… someone I trust… sure Robin, what would you like to know?"

"How long have you been a vampire?" Robin turned his head to the side again, focusing his peripheral vision on his dark team mate.

"All my life," said Raven in a dejected tone, "one of the many down sides of having a Demon father and a human mother is that you become a vampire. There aren't that many vampires with demonic parentage, but they are always the most powerful. It also has the added bonus of making me immune to sunlight."

"Thank haven for small mercies hey?" Robin shot Raven a smile that turned her legs to jelly, "How often do you have to feed?"

"I have a pint of blood every week," Raven monotoned, pushing more energy into Robin's injury.

"That doesn't seem like much," Robin's masked eyes narrowed in confusion.

"It's the bare minimum I need to live," Raven said simply.

"But I thought that--"

"My father," Raven interrupted, "in a vane attempt to make me more like him, put a curse on me when I turned 12. So that if I take more than that, then I'd become ravenous and keep drinking from that person until I had my fill, killing them in the process. I think he thought that if I did it once, I would stop caring and just keep doing it. It has the extra feature of keeping my power level low so I can't rise up against him."

"Why didn't he just make it so that if you had any blood you'd go psycho?"

"Because he knew if he did that I would rather stop drinking and die. And for whatever twisted plans he has for this world he needs me alive to for fill them."

Robin let that last comment sink in before another question struck him, "does anyone else on the team know about this?"

Raven bit her bottom lip, "yeah… yeah, I told Terra."

"Terra? Really?" Raven nodded her response, "why her and not any of the others?"

"Two reasons really: one is that Terra and I have been spending most of our time together, training, meditating, and getting to know each other. Part of the training we went through involved us connecting telepathically. Sharing memories, dreams… secrets. It's okay though, I trust her, and I know she can keep my secret.

"And the other reason is that… well…" Raven chewed on her lip, "now, I don't want you to think I'm being a snob or anything, because they are all still my friends and I still care about them. But, even though a vampire can make friendships with people based on personality, we can't connect fully with anyone who doesn't have normal human blood. I mean Cyborg's like the brother I never had, I don't know what I'd do without him, but he doesn't even have blood. I'm not even sure what--"

"High viscosity polyalphaolefins," Robin interrupted, "synthetic oil."

"Err… yeah, that stuff," Raven continued, "that stuff stops me from opening up with him as much as I'd like too. Beast Boy, as much as I loath to say it, he's like a little brother, an annoying little brother. Even if sometimes I want remove most of his least important organs with my bare hands." She paused for a second while Robin laughed, "but he… I don't know if he'd want anyone to know this, or even if he knows himself, but… he has a strange infection I've never encountered before and--"

"Wait, are you talking about the Sakutia virus?" Robin interrupted.

"Err… he only has one that I can tell," Raven said, with a confused look, "You know about it?"

"Yeah, when he was about six he went to Upper Lamumba in Africa with his parents. Whilst there he got bitten by the Green-Capped Mangabey," seeing Raven was about to question him he continued, "It's a green monkey. It infected him with the virus, it's how he got his powers, and it's why he's completely green. You didn't know any of this?"

"I never asked," Raven said, solemnly, making a mental note to learn more about her friends, "that virus is why I can't get closer to him, even if I wanted too. Even if it is a helpful illness, it still pollutes the blood and that keeps us from being anything but platonic friends."

"And Starfire?" asked Robin.

"Starfire… Starfire is my best friend next to Terra, even though I doubt she knows that. Between the two of them it's very close. But… Starfire's blood is alien; to drink it would be like drinking poison."

"Yeah, I heard about a vampire trying to feed off Superman once, he only got a drop of blood and apparently it burned a hole through his stomach."

"My point exactly," Raven responded, "if ever there was an emergency where I needed blood, I'd only be able to ask Terra for help."

Robin turned around almost completely and looked directly into Ravens eyes, "and what exactly is wrong with my blood?"

Raven blushed, again cursing her hoodless dressing gown, "I didn't think you and me had the kind of relationship were you'd offer me blood in an emergency. I was actually afraid that you might reject me if I told you I was a vampire."

"Why would you think that?" asked Robin, still focusing on Ravens eyes.

"Well… err…" Raven felt slightly nervous under Robin's penetrating gaze, "you and I don't really talk that much and we've never hung out as much as the others do, so--"

"Raven," Robin interrupted, "despite the things you just said, I'm still your friend, and I still trust you with my life. I'd sacrifice my life to save yours just as quickly as I would for any of the others. And anything you tell me would be just between the two of us. I'd like you to trust me as much as I trust you."

Raven smiled another soft smile at that statement, before a mischievous one appeared, "doe's that mean I get to see you without your eye mask on sometime?"

"Maybe if you're a good girl and finish healing me," Robin smirked, turning back around.

Raven flexed her fingers and continued to work, "you know I was planning on talking to you when you got back anyway. I was hoping to try and improve our friendship."

"How's that working out for you?" Robin joked.

"A lot better than I expected actually," Raven smiled, pushing the last of her magic into the Boy Wonder. "Okay, I'm all finished," she tapped the spot where the wound was to prove her point, "you won't even have a scar, not that you needed anymore."

Robin got up and flexed the muscles in his back and arms; once he was satisfied; he made his way to the door and stuffed the top half of his costume into his duffle bag. Turning back to the dark Goth he smiled, "thanks for this Raven."

"Anytime Robin, I… enjoyed our little chat."

"We'll have to do it again sometime," Robin said.

"I'd like that," Raven smiled.

They stood in another comfortable silence before Robin spoke up, "well, I think I'll go take a shower now and get rid of this dry blood, see you at breakfast Raven." Robin turned back towards the door and then stopped; he turned back with a mischievous look on his face, "one last question before I go."

Raven rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, "sure Robin, what would you like to know?"

Robin smirked, "before when you ran into the bathroom, did I see a tattoo on your back?"

Raven's face blushed furiously, her bed side lamp, as well as several books, exploded in black energy. "I'll take that as a yes."

"It… it was erm… it was Terra's idea," Raven stuttered, suddenly becoming very interested in the floor, "she convinced me that it would look cool for if I ever decided to wear something a little more revealing. She got one too, a small sea horse just above her left ankle. But she decided I should be a bit more… adventurous."

"Can I see it?" asked Robin.

Raven's eyes widened. She looked as if she would rather have a snogging session with Plasmus than show off her tattoo.

"Come on Raven, it's not as if I'm asking for a striptease, I just want a better look than I got the first time."

Raven glared at the Boy Wonder before turning her back on him. Making sure he couldn't see her front, she dipped the back of her dressing gown low enough to show off the small of her back. The tattoo of a raven was etched on her lower back, completely black except for its violet eyes, looked as it was soaring down towards her bottom.

"Nice," commented Robin.

'Doe's he mean me or the tattoo?' Raven wondered. She quickly pulled the dressing gown back up, and, making sure it was secure, turned back to face Robin, "happy now?" she asked sarcastically.

"Extremely," answered Robin, smirking.

"Now I have to see you naked to even the score," the little colour left in Raven's face drained instantly, 'no… please… please tell I didn't just say that out loud.'

Robin was just as shocked as her, but recovered quickly with a smirk, "maybe when I have some spare time on my hands I'll treat you to a little show. But until then, maybe you'll settle for this…"

From Raven's perspective, time seemed to slow down as Robin reached for his mask. Every emotion in her head was frozen in anticipation, waiting patiently for the grand unveiling. Then it happened, and time finally stopped. Sparkling sapphire coloured eyes shone from the Boy Wonder's face like the gems themselves. 'He's… handsome. Really, really handsome. More handsome than I'd realised,' Raven thought, losing herself in his ocean deep eyes. It wasn't until he snapped his fingers in front of her face, did she wake from her trance, blushing deeply.

"Hope that'll tide you over for the time being," Robin said, reattaching his mask and picking up his duffle bag, "see you at breakfast Raven." With that said he opened the bedroom door and, with a final wave goodbye, disappeared down the hall towards his own room.

Raven closed her bedroom door, leaning her back against it and letting out a contented sigh.

'Its official Raven,' she thought to herself, 'at the very least you're definitely attracted to the Boy Wonder, those gorgeous eyes have sealed the deal.' Raven looked at her hands, they were still covered in Robin's drying blood, 'only one way to be absolutely sure if he's the one.' Raven stuck out her tongue and tasted the end of her finger, and then her whole finger, soon her tongue was running all over her hands. What started off as a simple taste, soon descended into her sultrily running her tongue over her digits.

Raven slid down the door into a sitting position. Now she knew it. She wasn't just attracted to Robin… she was in love with him. Tasting another's blood was the only way for a vampire to be absolutely sure. Now she'd have to set a few plans in motion, plans she couldn't implement alone.

Raven jumped up and quickly got dressed in her usual uniform. She was still attaching her cloak when she stepped out of her bedroom. She crossed the hall to Terra's room and phased through the door.

As usual when Raven came to wake her, Terra was lay sprawled out on her bed, still fast asleep, and with her covers twisted around her. As always she wore a grey, Batman t-shirt that was large enough to fit Cyborg. Her hair closely resembled a birds nest that had fallen from it's perch, and landed in a wood chipper. Raven sat on the bed next to her friend and shook her excitedly. Terra bolted upright, looking around franticly.

"Huh… wha…" Terra looked to her dark friend, "Raven? What's the matter?"

"Robin's back," Raven smiled excitedly.

"What?" asked Terra, starting to rub the sleep from her eyes, "what are you blabbering on about now Rae?"

"Robin," Raven clarified, "he just got back in from Gotham and came to my room, we talked."

Terra groaned, fell back on to her bed and pulled the covers over her head. "Tell me again in a couple of hours when I might care."

"Terra," Raven shook her friend again, eliciting another groan, "Terra, I think he's the one."

Terra pulled back the covers enough to show one azure eye. "Robin?" Raven nodded, "really?"

"We talked," Raven said, blushing lightly, "I felt a connection between us, and I… I tasted his blood. It's him, I know it is. He's the one for us."

Terra sat up and rubbed her head, messing her hair even more, and stretching. "If you really think so Raven, then we'll do everything we can to coax him over to us."

Raven's smile widened further as she pulled her friend into a tight hug, "I knew I could count on you."

A mischievous look crossed Terra's face, "you know," she said as she placed a finger on her chin in a mock questioning pose, "you could always show me your appreciation."

Raven smirked, "I guess we have a little time before I have to start breakfast." Raven grabbed the back of Terra's head and pulled her into a very deep, passionate kiss.

To be continued…

Author's Notes: Bet you weren't expecting that! I hope I have enough of you hooked now that you'll read the next chapter. I'm hoping to make this the best, if not the only, Teen Titans three way relationship fic where one of the people involved doesn't end up heartbroken, or worse, miraculously end up with someone else just at the end of the story. Most of the story will be about Raven and Terra trying to coax, and mostly seduce, Robin in to their coven. I've even applied my multiple concussed brain to thinking up a semi plausible reason for the coupling, or at least it's plausible to me.

As I'm sure you noticed this is going to be a Vampire fic as well, some chapters might not mention vampires, where as others will be so chocked full you'll probably get sick of them. I have no plans for Robin to become a vampire before you start to think that's what I meant with that whole 'The One' business. I have something that I hope is original in store for the Boy Wonder.

I also hope to involve a number of Teen Titans clichés (what's a Teen Titans fic without the clichés?) but with my own twists of cause. The first four being in this very chapter:

1) Raven being a vampire. Admittedly not a cliché that's been done a lot so there's not many stories that others can compare it too. I hope to be able to do things with it that the others haven't.

2) Terra still alive. But, as you can tell, Terra won't end up with Beast Boy as she does in so many other fics. I had originally planed it to go that way, with a couple of chapters to go with the pairing. But then I got a much more interesting idea, as I'm sure you noticed. I hope you like it.

3) Titans in High School. Only two of them attending though, and even though it might seem that I've done it to get them out of the way, I haven't. I do have a story involving the high school and one of the students that will come up in a later chapter.

4) Robin without his mask. A very popular cliché among Titans fans, though that's not why I did it. It was done partially to help Robin and Raven make more of a connection, the other reason why will become apparent in a later chapter. I did miss out the cliché were Robin has two toned eyes though, it didn't seem prudent to my story.

Of cause, any clichés that any of you can think of will be greatly appreciated as I'm sure there are some that I've missed.

Terra's tattoo came from came from the cover of the Teen Titans Go comic issue 11, a picture can be found on Raven's tattoo came from Teen Titans Vol. 3 issue 13, the only picture I could find of it online was a pornographic one on a Teen Titans Hentai site, but I might get kicked off for telling you where that is.

Next Chapter: What the hell is going on? What's going to happen next? More answers and of cause more questions in the next exciting chapter of Teen Titans: Blood, Earth and Shade.

PLEASE REVIEW. I'd really appreciate any comments or suggestions you could come up with. Plus I like to print of my reviews and roll around in them.


	2. Adoption

Author's Notes: Wow. I can't believe how many chapters I got for the first chapter. I was only expecting five. Sorry if I didn't respond to yours at the end, but I've decided to only really respond to those that say something more than 'Good fic, Please update', sorry.

It took me a while to get this chapter sorted in my head. There are things tacking place in this chapter that will lead to events in future parts. I didn't spend as much time on this one as I did with the first one. The first chapter I spent two months working on before I posted it. I get the feeling most of you wouldn't like me to take so long with this one.

Teen Titans: Blood, Earth and Shade

Author: The Omakeer

Disclaimer: Teen Titans is owned by Warner Bros, DC comics, and Cartoon Network. And as soon as I raise a couple billion dollars to buy all three, I'll change it for the better, or worse depending how open you are to pornography.

Chapter Two: Adoption

* * *

_Late Evening_

George felt terrible. He was suck on the late shift again, had to check in the new arrivals on his own, and worst of all he had a splitting headache.

He made his way through the DEO facility towards the holding cells. There were twenty new 'arrivals' that needed processing tonight, and apparently everyone else was on a break. After swiping his ID card through the electronic lock, and waving hello to Jerry the guard, who as usual was watching his portable TV, George entered the holding area.

George had long ago been desensitized to the fact that all the 'arrivals' were young children, some of them barely walking. It had long been to DEO's policy to pick up Metahumans as young as possible. Most were used to find weaknesses to superpowers, the rest were brainwashed for future use in the armed forces. Not an ideal place for any child.

George moved along the cells, checking each child of his list as he went. In the final cell was a boy about three or four years old, he had short, spiky hair and large, green eyes. He stood in the centre of the cell, tugging at the power-inhibitor collar around his neck with tears in his eyes.

It was then that George noticed what was in the child's hand. It looked like a yellow hockey puck with a black circle on top and embossed with a white T. George knew it wasn't one of the facilities toys, they were all either educational or war based. He contemplated taking it away from the boy, but he already looked close to tears and George didn't like the idea of the child bawling all night long.

Once George turned and left the room the young boy smiled. He flipped open the communicator and pressed the button to activate the emergency signal.

* * *

_Early Morning - The Same Day_

The kitchen area in Titans Tower was alive with activity. Raven and Terra danced around each other getting the breakfast ready for the whole group. As they flipped pancakes and fried bacon, they talked of the events of earlier that morning. Specifically of Ravens interaction Robin.

"You're sure he's the one?" Terra asked again for the third time.

"Blood never lies," Raven said, rolling her eyes, "People might, but never blood. I know he's the one."

"Well it's alright for you," Terra said, starting on another round of pancakes, "You're a vampire you can get a connection with someone from a drop a blood. It's a little more complicated for us mere mortals."

"I'm absolutely positive you'll like him too Terra. Looking passed the fact that he's handsome and looks great without a shirt on…" Raven said, momentarily taking on a dreamy expression. "…he's also kind, considerate and trustworthy. Trust me, you will like him."

Terra nodded her response still a bit apprehensive. They carried on preparing the morning meal in silence. After a minute of working in silence Raven spoke up.

"If you do like Robin…" Raven said, buttering a couple of rounds of toast. "How exactly are we supposed to find out if he likes us? And what if he only likes one of us? I wouldn't be willing to invade his mind even if I could."

"Simple. We us a two pronged attack." Terra said, waving her spatula about. "Basically, we both spend as much time with him as possible, either together or on our own. And whilst we're with him we chat and we flirt and then if he likes us both then we tell him about me and you. But if it looks like he only likes one of us, then whomever that is goes out with him and then tells him we're bringing the other one in."

"You're sure that'll work?" Raven asked skeptically, "It sounds a bit farfetched."

"Trust me," Terra said, smiling, "Robin is a guy, having two girls at once would be a dream come true for him."

Raven had her doubts. Robin didn't seem to have that big of an ego. He never did any publicity or interviews. After beating the bad guys he always disappeared before the press turned up or he could be thanked. And when Cyborg and Beast Boy bragged about their 'conquests', Robin never talked about past relationships, even though Raven was sure he'd had plenty.

Any further talks were stopped when Cyborg entered, asking how long until everything was ready, before sitting down. It wasn't long until Beast Boy, Starfire and Aqua Lad entered too. No one bothered Raven and Terra this morning. Beast Boy was too busy doing last minute homework and Starfire was eye deep in conversation with Aqua Lad about how beautiful oceans of her home planet were.

"So friends," Starfire said, her face lighting up with a smile. "What plans do you all have on this most glorious day whilst friend Beast Boy and myself are experiencing the joys of public high school?"

"I'm mostly going to be working in my garage," Cyborg answered, finishing his first round of pancakes and moving on to the second. "But I also want to finish the files on our most recent missions just in case Robin turns up."

"You're a bit late for that," Raven said, taking more bacon of the grill. "He turned up early this morning."

"WHAT?" all the other Titans except Terra exclaimed.

"He turned up at about five o'clock. He'd gotten an injury tackling some criminals on his way back into the city and I healed it," Raven blushed at the memory, but thankfully it was hidden from the others. "I think he might still be in the shower."

"Guess again." the Titans all jumped in surprise. Robin leaned in the doorway with a easy going smile on his face, "How are you guys?"

Starfire was up in an instance, wrapping her arms tightly around the Boy Wonder. The others expressed their welcomes, though thankfully they didn't feel the need to pull him into a bone crushing hug. Aqua Lad was the only other Titan to stand up. He simply shook Robin's hand.

"Hey Aqua Lad," Robin said, a small smile on his face, "I heard you were filling in for me. So are you going to be sticking around then?"

"Well," Aqua Lad said, taking a moment to think. "Aqua Man seems to think Atlantis and all the oceans are just his responsibilities. He always gives me a hard time if I try and help him. And more importantly I've just got my room here in order. So if you want me, then I'll stick around."

"Glorious," Starfire yelled, maybe a little too loudly. "Come; let us all enjoy the wonders of breaking the fast."

Robin shot Raven a winning smile, causing her to blush, before sitting down and pulling a plate of pancakes forward. Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief as he finished the last sum in his math homework and started devouring his tofu eggs.

"What are you doing up so early anyway?" Robin asked the changeling, "I wouldn't think you'd have to leave for school for at least another hour."

"I have to get up early to get in the bathroom before Star does," Beast Boy grumbled. "If I didn't I'd have to wait for two hours before I could have a shower. I don't know why we don't have on suites in this place."

Raven smiled to herself, she knew exactly why. When they first started the team Beast Boy had insisted on a shared bathroom, thinking that that would mean they would all use the facilities at the same time. Robin agreed, just not in the way Beast Boy thought. One bathroom, with a bath, shower, sink and toilet, and one door that had a lock on the inside. Unbeknownst to Beast Boy, Starfire and even Cyborg, one floor did have on suite bathrooms. The floor Robin and Raven resided on. He had told her about their floor's private bathrooms straight away, realizing even that early in their relationship, her need for privacy. She realized that that was probably the first instance of her feelings for young detective.

"Anyway Robin," Cyborg said in an attempt to change the subject, "Did you happen to hook up whilst you were in Gotham?" Both Terra and Raven listened intently. Terra in hopes of learning more about the Boy Wonder and Raven in fear of her plans failing.

"I was working Cy," Robin said, his face devoid of emotion. "I barely had to shower, never mind go out on a date."

"Yeah, thanks for the mental image, but come on dude," Cyborg said, slightly frustrated, "When was the last time you even had a date?"

Robin gave Cyborg a 'wouldn't you like to know' look. This made Cyborg even more frustrated. He knew Robin must have been with a few girls. The Boy Wonder had come home late from patrolling some nights with the scent of perfume and the hint of lipstick on his neck that the others apparently hadn't noticed. The problem was he wouldn't talk about it, no matter how much Cyborg pestered him.

"Dude, if you want I could find you the perfect woman," Beast Boy said with a wide smile.

"You?" Robin asked, "You can't be serious?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm a certified love doctor." Beast Boy pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Robin, "See, I did it over the internet."

Robin unfolded the paper and looked at it, then at Beast Boy, then back again. "I wouldn't trust the site that gave you this Beast Boy."

"Why the hell not?" Beast Boy asked indignantly.

"You mean besides the fact you got it of the internet?" Robin asked, handing it back to the changeling, "they misspelled certified and doctor… and love."

Beast Boy grumbled as the others laughed. "I don't need this anyway. I'll have you know I'm gods gift to women."

"Someone needs to tell god we want a refund." Raven smirked.

"Friend Robin," Starfire said, hoping to save Beast Boy from any further mocking. "Perhaps you would like to join friend Beast Boy and myself in the attending of the public high school. Then you could achieve the higher education like us."

"There's no need Star," Robin said, finishing off the last of his breakfast, "I've already got my high school diploma when I was seven." This stunned the Titans into silence. Raven especially so. She knew Robin was smart, she just didn't know he was that smart.

"Well speaking of high school," Cyborg said, recovering from that revelation and finishing off his forth plate of breakfast, "Come on you two, I'll give you both a lift. I have to go into town to pick up some parts anyway."

Beast Boy and Starfire quickly finished off the last of their breakfasts, and after picking up their book bags and saying goodbyes, they followed Cyborg to his garage.

"I think I'll go outside for a swim," Aqua Lad said, getting up and making his way out. "I have my communicator if you need me." With that said he disappeared down the hall.

"Well, I think I'll go watch some TV." Robin got up and flipped over the back of the couch and started channel surfing.

Raven and Terra started clearing away the breakfast things. Putting anything that wasn't eaten into Tupperware and storing them in the fridge. As they started washing the dishes, they took the opportunity to talk.

"I think I should go talk to him," Terra said, scrubbing the plates and passing them to Raven to dry. "If I'm going to find out if I like him or not then I need to see more than him avoiding Cyborg's questions."

"Trust me Terra," Raven said, for what felt like the hundredth time. "I know you'll like him."

"The thing is," Terra said, thoughtfully, "Even if I do like him, how will we know if he likes us too? He doesn't seem like he'd just come out and tell us. Or even tell the others that he does."

"Now that you mention it," Raven said, "Even if he does like us he might not pursue us in fear of causing a rift in the team. Though I'm sure if we told him to keep it a secret he might be up for that."

"So what are we supposed to do about him telling us that he wants to get jiggy?" Terra asked.

"While I'm not sure if I want to get 'jiggy', there is one thing we could do…" Raven said looking thoughtful, "There's a potion we could use to find out."

"What? Like a love potion?"

"No, no, nothing that would force him to like us." Raven said, shaking off Terra's suggestion, "It will make him… dream."

"Dream?" Terra asked, "What's that supposed to do?"

"Well, if he likes us as friends, then he'll dream about us and the others doing friend things. But…" Raven paused for a moment, "Well, if he likes us in a more… intimate way, then… well he…"

Terra laughed, holding her hands over her mouth so that Robin wouldn't hear. "It gives him dirty dreams. Oh that's priceless."

"It'll only last for a month," Raven said, pulling her hood down more to hide her blush. "The potion isn't designed to make him like us anymore than he does. It's just designed to make him more willing to ask us out than he normally would."

"Cool," Terra said, "What do you need to do?"

Raven took a glass out of the cupboard and sharp knife from the draining board. "I need a couple of drops of our blood for starters."

Terra was a little apprehensive at first, but then held her hand out to her empathic lover. Raven made a small cut on the end of Terra's finger and, after a couple drops fell into the glass, applied some healing magic to mend the wound.

After Raven exited to her room, Terra made her way over to Robin. She vaulted over the back of the couch and sat next to the Boy Wonder.

"What can I do for you Terra?" Robin asked, his gaze never leaving the TV.

"How do you know that I want anything?" Terra asked, shocked at Robin's perceptiveness.

"It's my job to know," Robin turned and smiled at her. Terra liked his smile, it wasn't cheesy or smug but warm and welcoming.

"I just thought it was time we got to know each other a little better," Terra said, smiling back. "We didn't get the chance before you left."

Robin turned off the TV and turned towards Terra, "Well, okay then. I don't see any harm in that."

Robin and Terra spent the next half an hour trading personal stories. Like when he talked to the other Titans, Robin didn't share any personal information with Terra. Mostly he talked about his training with Batman and some of the missions he'd been on with the Dark Knight. Terra, for her part, shared more with the Boy Wonder. Telling him about the father that didn't acknowledge her and what she did before she met the Titans.

She was just talking about the brother she had never met when Raven re-entered the room. The young empath made her way into the kitchen area, "Would you two like a drink whilst I'm in here?"

"Please," Robin and Terra both answered in unison. Raven finished making her herbal tea, poured Terra a glass of apple juice and mixed some milk in with the potion for Robin. Holding her tea and encasing the other drinks in black energy, Raven sat on the sofa next to Terra, floating the drinks to her fellow Titans.

Robin downed his drink in one go and let out a little cough. If the girls could have seen his eyes, they would have noticed them glaze over momentarily. "Thanks for that Raven," he stood up and stretched his back. "I think I'll go do some training now."

As Robin made his way towards the exit Terra jumped up and shouted, "Wait." Robin turned and looked back at the young Geomorph, "Erm… could you… could you train me."

Robin raised a questioning eyebrow, "We have combat training three times a week."

Terra momentarily looked at Raven then back at the Boy Wonder. "I don't mean combat training; I mean all that kung fu stuff that you do."

Robin's expression was blank as he looked at Terra, "kung fu stuff?"

"Well I can't rely on my powers all the time can I?" Terra smiled, very pleased with herself for thinking of this so quickly. "What if someone manages to block my abilities, I'd need someway to defend myself."

Robin took on a thoughtful look, "This isn't something to take on lightly Terra. It would take at least three months to get any good. And then you'd have to train every day to keep those skills sharp."

"I'm nothing if not determined," Terra smirked.

A small smile appeared on Robin's face, "Do you want to start now?"

Terra practically jumped for joy, "Sure."

As they both made their way out of the room, Robin turned back to Raven. "What about you? Do you want to join us?"

Raven was taken back by Robin's question but soon shook her head in response. "I need more meditation time than Terra does. And even if I didn't, I'm a lot stronger than you might think. I doubt you'd be able to handle me."

"You'd be surprised," Robin smiled.

"Maybe some other time," Raven said with a soft smile as Robin and Terra left for the gym.

* * *

Robin and Terra spent most of the day in the gym, mastering the stretches and warm up exercises. Terra was a surprisingly fast learner, picking up the fundamentals with amazing ease. Robin was also surprised how focused she was. She only asked questions when she wasn't sure how to do a certain move. She was far from being a master. But given time, Robin knew, she would be a force to be reckoned with. 

It wasn't until Cyborg signaled them on their communicators that it was time for dinner that Robin realized they had been in the gym all day. After a quick warm down, Robin and Terra went to their rooms for showers and to get changed.

Robin and Terra entered the rec-room not long after each other sitting down at the table with the others. Raven and Terra shared a look. After Terra gave her a thumbs up, Raven smiled behind her cup of tea.

The Titans talked about their respective days as they enjoyed their meals. They were just hearing of Starfire's adventures in geometry when the alarms sounded. The Titans were in front of the big screen in less than five seconds. Robin's fingers blurred across the keyboard as he typed in the commands to find out what the problem was.

"It's a distress signal…" Robin said, his eyes fixed on the screen, "…from a Titan communicator."

All eyes immediately turned to Beast Boy, "Did you sit on yours again BB," Cyborg asked, rolling his human eye.

Before Beast Boy could check, Robin answered for him. "It's not his this time. It's from an honorary Titan." Robin typed in some more information. "Wildebeest's. And it's coming from the middle of the desert."

"What's the hell is he doing in the middle of the desert?" Cyborg asked.

"He might have picked up been the DEO," Robin said, almost to himself.

"What's a DEO?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'll explain it on the way," Robin said, turning around and running towards the garage with the other Titans close behind.

* * *

By the time the T-Car reached the desert it was night fall. The Titans were all squeezed in, Robin and Cyborg in the front seats, Starfire, Aqua Lad, Terra and Raven squeezed into the back seat and Beast Boy, transformed into a dog and sitting in the back of the car. Cyborg made a mental note to get a bigger car for future missions. Thought at least Beast Boy wasn't able to tell any jokes in dog form. 

As it would take a little over half an hour to reach the point of origin for Wildebeest's distress signal; Robin took this opportunity to fill the others in on what he knew.

"It's very likely that Wildebeest is being held in a DEO research facility. The DEO, or Department of Extra-normal Operations, is an organization that 'collects' adolescent Metahumans"

"Why do they collect them?" Raven asked, fearing the answer.

"They collect them to study them," Robin said, "They perform experiments on them to find new was to capture, control or even destroy other Metahumans."

The Titans shock quickly turned to disgust. "Why does the earth government not put a stop to these people and their villainy?" Starfire asked.

Robin let out a mirthless chuckle, "Because they are part of the government Star. There is of cause no way that the DEO could ever be linked to the government in anyway that a normal person could find. But trust me, they are.

"What about the Justice League?" asked Aqua Lad, angrily, "Shouldn't they be doing something about this?"

"They do what they can," Robin admitted, "Whenever they find one of these facilities they shut it down. Arresting the personnel, getting the captives medical treatment and reuniting them with their families, and, depending on which hero is there, destroy the building. But the problem is there are more than one of these places. And every time one closes another one opens."

The Titans all sat in silence, letting this information sink in. "So… what's the plan boss?" asked Cyborg.

"We'll go in in teams of two," Robin said, his voice full of confidence, "Raven and I will go in first, we'll head to the warden's office and deactivate any alarms and anything that could automatically kill the captives. Then Terra and Starfire will make there way inside and locate Wildebeest. Aqua Lad and Beast Boy it will be your job to free as many of the captives and take out as many guards as possible."

"Erm… Raven and I work great as a team," Terra said, "Why don't we go and get Wildebeest."

"One: because even though I don't know all of the defense systems the DEO will have, I do know that they have psychic disablers. If they use them on anyone with psychic powers it instantly knocks them. that's why I pared one psychic team mate with one who isn't. and Two: no offence to you or Aqua Lad, Terra, but I know Raven can be quiet. And I need someone with me who can move about almost as silently as I do."

"And what exactly am I supposed to do?" Cyborg asked, felling left out, "Or am I just the get away driver?"

"Oh no Cyborg, you have the best job of all." Robin said as he shot his friend a mischievous smile, "You get to be the distraction."

* * *

Before they reached the base, Cyborg activated the T-Car's newly developed cloaking device. Cyborg was particularly proud of this device. It was an amalgamation of the one Robin used for his Red X costume and something Cyborg had seen in a James Bond movie. The only way you could tell the car was there was if it was parked on top of you. The fact that it made him feel like a secret agent was just a bonus. 

Cyborg parked the T-Car at the side fence of the facility, and. once Robin and Raven got out, he drove round to the front gate to wait for Robin's order of attack.

Once Raven phased Robin and herself through the fence they made their way across the compound, dodging searchlights and, whenever necessary, knocking out the occasional guard. The birds quickly made their way into the main building, taking advantage of the signposts and quietly moving towards the warden's office.

When they neared the corridor leading to the office door the birds peeked around the corner. Spotting the six guards lining the passage Raven pulled back and let out a heavy sigh.

"Maybe I should just teleport us in," Raven whispered, "If we're lucky the warden won't notice us until we can take him down. What do you think Robin? Robin?"

It was then that Raven noticed the Boy Wonder was missing. When she looked back down the corridor she saw all six guards laying on the floor unconscious and the office door ajar. Stepping over the guards, Raven made her own way in to the office. When she entered, Raven immediately spotted the warden laying on the floor with a bruise forming on his forehead with Robin working away on his computer. Raven was impressed, though she wouldn't tell Robin that.

"I'm downloading all the base's files now," Robin said, hooking up a black box to the computer. After a couple of more strokes of the keyboard he smiled, "And I've just deactivated all the alarms and disabled the prisoner's inhibitor collars."

Raven let out a small chuckle, "Go on, say it. You know you want too."

Robin smirked and flipped open his communicator, "Titans Go!"

* * *

Cyborg had to admit it. He loved being a distraction. 

As soon as Robin had sent the attack order, Cyborg had blasted down the main gates with the T-Car's positron cannon. Once the other Titans had headed off to complete their assigned tasks the real fun started.

Extending his retractable armor over his human parts, Cyborg also set the T-Car on an auto-drive program to rally around the compound ramming and blasting the trucks parked in the base.

Cyborg was having the time of his life. Blasting his sonic cannon into the ground and causing small earthquakes, picking up jeeps and throwing them into the guard towers, even shoulder charging into any soldiers brave enough to get too close to him.

Oh yes. Cyborg loved being a distraction.

* * *

The corridors of the DEO facility were in total chaos. Once the prisoners realised their inhibitor collars had been deactivated, those with the powers to do so broke out of the cells and began attacking the guards that had imprisoned them. With all of the alarms offline, most of the guards didn't know what was happening until they were having there faces smashed in. 

Terra and Starfire made their way through the halls as quickly as they could, following the signal from Wildebeest's communicator. They reached a reinforced door which Starfire tore down with great ease. And after knocking out the guard on the other side, entered the holding area.

Using the tracking device to guide them, the girls made their way to the last cell. To say they were surprised would be an understatement. Both Terra and Starfire were prepared to find a large, hairy manimal, at least similar looking to his codename.

They definitely weren't expecting a four year old child with large green eyes.

Starfire almost immediately went into lovey-dovey mode, crouching down and smiling at the young boy, stating how incredibly cute she thought he was. Terra on the other hand was more interested in what was going on. The boy had a Titans communicator in his hands, and he must have some form of powers to be in this place. But from Robin's description of him, Wildebeest was hairy, had horns, and was at least as big as Mammoth and probably as strong. This boy didn't look anything like that.

"Freeze. Put your hands where I can see them and step away from the cage."

Terra felt like kicking herself. She was so busy looking at the child that she forgot to keep watch for any more guards. Five of them stood near the doorway, their guns trained on the Titans. She did as she was told, watching the guards for any chance she could use to her advantage. Starfire however, was watching the child.

The child's face contorted in anger. His bright green eyes shifted to a feral yellow. Horns began growing on his forehead as hair sprouted all over his body. Tendons popped, muscles expanded and bones shifted as he grew into an eight feet tall manimal in under a second.

Wildebeest roared with feral rage, breaking through his cage and charging the guards. He knocked three out before they could react, backhanding them with minimum effort. He grabbed the last two by their heads, slamming them together before they could fire a shot. Dropping the unconscious guards on the floor, he turned back to the girls and gave them what they could only assume was a smile.

"I guess that explains how you had the communicator," Terra said, smiling up at Wildebeest.

Wildebeest changed back into his boy form again and Starfire picked him up and hugged him. "Oh little one, I am relieved that you are unharmed!"

Pulling out her communicator, Terra called Robin. "Robin we've found Wildebeest, I guess. What do you want us to do with him?"

"_Get him to the T-Car. The rest of us are going to do a final sweep, make sure we've captured all the personnel. Do you girls need a hand carrying Wildebeest?"_

Terra took a moment to look at the toddler, "I don't think that's going to be a problem." Terra closed the communicator and smirked. She couldn't wait to see the look on Robin's face when he saw little Wildebeest.

* * *

All the guards and scientific personnel were quickly rounded up. After Cyborg had destroyed all the vehicles they had no means of escape. After tying them up, the Titans placed them in the middle of the compound ready to be shipped off to prison. Robin, Cyborg and Raven stood guard whilst Beast Boy and Aqua Lad went off to find Terra and Starfire. 

Robin closed his communicator, "The Justice League will be here soon to deal with these guys and help any of the kids that haven't run off yet."

"Can we expect any retaliation from this?" Cyborg asked, "I mean we did bust up one of there cribs."

Robin let out a soft chuckle, "Don't worry about it. We're in the public eye. If they come after us they risk exposure to what they're doing. And if we went missing people would ask questions, not to mention they would have the Justice League on there asses. No the most that will happen is that some criminals will 'miraculously' escape from prison and come gunning for us. Nothing we can't handle though."

"We should probably head back," Raven said, "Give Wildebeest a check up, make sure he's okay."

"You guys go on," Robin said, "I'll stay and check in with the League and get them to teleport me back to the tower."

Cyborg grumbled and walked towards the T-Car, mumbling something about not getting to meet Superman. Raven rolled her eyes before following the metal teen.

* * *

Not long after the Titans got back to the tower, Robin teleported into the rec-room, almost landing on Raven. After apologizing to her, Robin told them the Justice League had everything at the DEO facility under control. 

"What happened to your hair?" Raven asked, noticing it was more messed up than usual.

"The Flash," Robin said in an exasperated tone, "Every time he sees me he ruffs up my hair and calls me 'Batboy'." Robin chose to ignore every ones laughter and bring himself up to speed, "So how's Wildebeest? Everything check out okay?"

"More or less," Raven said.

Robin could tell from her tone that something was up, it was then that he noticed the little boy sat on the couch. Terra and Starfire quickly told him everything they knew, to Terra's disappointment, Robin didn't seem to be overly shocked. "What are we supposed to do with him?"

"Can we not keep him?" Starfire asked.

"He's not a pet Star," Robin said.

"I know that friend Robin," Starfire said, losing none of her optimism. "I simply meant that if the little one does not have a mother and/or father that we could look after him. He is a fellow Titan after all." The others seemed to agree with Starfire.

Robin was apprehensive, "I'm still not sure about this."

"I promise that I will take extra special care of the little one," Starfire said, all smiles.

Robin took on a pensive look, "What do the rest of you think?" Everyone seemed to think it was a great idea. Every one except Raven, she had the same pensive look he did, "What do you think Raven?"

"Well," Raven said after a moment, "As long as he isn't as annoying as Beast Boy…" the changeling made an indignant yell but Raven continued, "Then I don't see any problem with him staying."

Robin looked down at the young boy, "You are toilet trained aren't you?" Wildebeest glared at him but nodded yes. "…he's your responsibility Star; you have to look after him. I don't know about the others but I for one am busy enough as it is."

"Joyous," Starfire exclaimed, picking up little Wildebeest and pulling him into a hug.

"I'll contact the League in the morning," Robin said, smiling at the scene in front of him. "We'll find out if he has any parents or not and then see about him staying with us."

"At least Beast Boy has someone mentally the same age as him," Raven smirked.

Robin chuckled as he leaned close to Wildebeest. "Well we can't keep call you Wildebeest all the time can we. What's you name kid?" Wildebeest simply shrugged his shoulders. Robin stood up straight and looked to the other Titans, "Well guys, what should we name the little guy?"

* * *

Marv was sweating slightly. Moving all the furniture around his living room took more out of him than he thought it would. The living room was the biggest room in his apartment and that was only eight by eight. He needed at least a six foot square of space for the pentagram. 

The magic book Marv was using was a god send. He had found it by chance in an old used book store. The cover had been worn over time; the only thing he could make out was a tall man that seemed to be covered in blood.

Every spell Marv had used from the ancient tome had worked. The guys that had bullied him as a kid were all in mental institutes, his bitchy ex-girlfriend had aged fifty years over night, and his boss had been kissing his ass all week. There was a spell that could give him massive wealth and another that could give him superpowers. But tonight he had something different in mind.

Marv's thoughts of power were interrupted by a knock at his door. He looked at his watch. Almost two am. His first thoughts were to ignore it. But then he realised that if someone was knocking at this time it might be important. And if it was the cops it was better to deal with them now than have them break the door in.

Marv opened the door and looked into a face of a friend he hadn't seen in a long time. The teen before him was dressed in a hospital gown with a raggedy trench coat over it, he had short black hair with bald patches on the sides where wires had once been plugged in, he had bags under his dull, almost lifeless green eyes.

"Simon?" Marv asked, "Is that you? Oh my god… where have you been for the last year?"

"They… they had me in some lab," Simon said, tiredly, "They were… experimenting on me…"

"Erm… come in, come in," Marv said, opening his door wider. "Can I get you something? A drink? Something to eat?"

"I just… I just need somewhere to crash for a while," Simon said, listlessly. "I just need to rest."

"Sure man, sure," Marv clapped his hands together and smiled, "I know what you need, you need is some action." Marv picked up his supplies from of the couch and started drawing a pentagram on the floor with chicken's blood.

"Well you're a nice guy and all Marv, you're just not my type," Simon said with mirthless laughter.

"Funny. But I didn't mean me," Marv said, finishing the pentagram. "I found this great book with magic spells in it that actually work. Right now I'm trying to summon a succubus. A sex demon. And when she gets here she fore fill my every desire. I'll even let you have a crack at her."

Simon gave him a sceptical look, "Are you sure? That sounds kind of dangerous."

"Trust me," Marv said, his voice full of smugness. Marv hung a large silver mirror in front of the pentagram. Once it was in place he put a candle on all five points of the star and lit them before stepping back into the centre. He held the book before him and read out the incantations. Mystical red energy swirled around Marv and the mirror before him began glowing.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Simon asked, nervously.

Marv just nodded his head, even though he wasn't sure himself. The swirling energy increased in speed and mirrors light intensified.

Without warning a beam of crimson light blasted from the mirror and struck Marv in the chest. It levitated him off the ground as it sucked the life-force from him. His muscles wasted away, his skin sticking to his bones as it turned charcoal black.

"Marv!" Simon jumped to his feet to try and help his friend. As he did the crimson energy blasted through Marv's back and struck Simon. His body glowed bright white. His very being felt like it was in flames as he slowly slipped out of consciousness.

Then suddenly, it all stopped. All the energy receded back in to the mirror and both bodies dropped heavily on the ground.

"_**Simon…"**_

Simon groaned as he came back into consciousness. He rubbed his head to try and get his brain working again. If he wasn't in so much pain he probably would have noticed his hair was missing.

"_**Simon…"**_

Simon sat up and starched his back. It was then that he realised how good he felt. Better than he had felt in ages. Since before he was taken to the DEO facility.

"_**Simon my child…"**_

Simon's brain finally registered that someone was talking to him. The mysterious voice was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. A kind, caring, loving fatherly voice. The kind of voice his own father should have had.

"_**Come to me Simon, let me see you…"**_

Simon stood up slowly. He stepped over the husk that was once his friend and made his way over to the silver mirror. At first he thought he was looking at someone else, but soon realized this strange visage was him. All the hair appeared to have been burned from his body. His skin was incredibly pale but it looked like his muscles had grown stronger. The bags from under his eyes were gone and his eyes were now deep red. Simon's fascination over his new appearance disappeared when he spotted a shadowy figure in the mirror. He looked behind him but no one was there.

"**_Hello Simon…"_** said the shadow man in the mirror, drawing back Simon's attention, **_"How are you feeling?"_**

"I-I feel great," Simon said, feeling an unusual the need to be absolutely honest with the shadow man, "I feel better then great. Erm… I'm sorry but who… who are you?"

Simon couldn't see it, but he knew the shadow man was smiling**_. "I am you're master,"_** Simon didn't know why but he felt great relief knowing that. **_"But do not fear though my child. Though I am a tough master, I am also a most generous master. Do you know why you were captured by those humans and held in their prison?"_**

Simon was a little apprehensive talking about his time with the DEO, but with his master he knew he would be safe. "I'm a level one telepath and telekinetic. I can just about move pencils and read the minds of chickens. They hoped to improve my powers for their own ends."

"**_I have done what they could not my child,"_** the shadow man said, **_"Try out your telekinesis on that corpse over there."_**

If he had any problems with using his powers on his friend's body, it didn't show on Simon's face. The instance he used his powers his eyeballs and the skin on his head turned invisible, his skull looked as if it was made out of blue crystal, and brain more resembled an azure light, pulsing in various levels of brightness.

Telekinetic energy surrounded Marv's lifeless body, lifting it of the ground. The psychic energy quickly began tearing the body to pieces. Within seconds it was nothing but dust. As he let the energy subside and his head returned to normal, Simon turned back to the mirror and knelt before it, praising his master.

"**_You are indeed powerful now my child,"_** the shadow man said, holding wide his arms and accepting the praise. **_"But now there is something I want you to do for me."_**

"Anything my master, anything," Simon said, feeling unbridled joy at the thought of helping the shadow man.

"**_I need you to go to a special place in the city,"_** the shadow man said, **_"A place known as… the HIVE."_**

To be continued…

* * *

Author's Notes: I'll be introducing new character in the first couple of chapters. Not because I have anything planed for them, but so that if I'm stuck for ideas in the future I can bring these characters in. 

Simon, or Psimon as he will be called, will make quite a few appearances in future chaps though. I'm sure you have all already guessed who the shadow man is but the first person to tell me wins a virtual cookie.

The idea for this fic came from Teen Titans Go comic issue 16. I wanted to bring in Wildebeest as I had a couple of ideas for him, but when I saw him turning into a little kid in that issue my mind exploded with ideas, mostly a way of distracting Starfire from Raven and Terra's advances on Robin.

Also if any of you could think up a good name to call Wildebeest that would be great. I have one or two ideas, but nothing that good.

The names for Marv and George came from Marv Wolfman and George Perez.

* * *

Time to respond to a few reviews: 

**Cherry Jade:** You were the first reviewer for my Teen Titans fic and I'm glad you thought it was so good, I just hope you think this one good too. I'm glad you weren't expecting Raven and Terra kissing, with any luck there will be a few more surprises in the future.

**Violent Jack:** I'm happy that you were so impressed with my little fic, even happier to know you enjoyed it so much. I wrote the first chapter two months before I posted it. Spending every day adding a little bit more detail. I'm sorry to say I didn't spend as much time on this chapter. I hope you still like it though.

**Rearob4ever:** Does your review count as a flame? If so it's the first one I've ever gotten. Robin will be with Raven, Terra will be more Raven's girlfriend, I'm not sure how much Robin and Terra will be involved yet.

**Scotty Boi:** Only one more for now. But there will be more in future.

**Philosopher:** But trickery was the only way I could get you to read femslash my dear lady.


	3. A Night Out

Author's Notes: I can't believe how many people think this fic is good. I haven't got a single flame yet (not that I want any mind you). There were a few that obviously read the first chapter and didn't bother with the second (like my friend Philosopher, because for some reason she doesn't like femslash) but they won't be reading this so I guess it doesn't really matter.

I'll admit it. I like Lemon fanfics. I've read a lot and will probably read many more in the future. The problem is I'm not sure how to write them. Well, that's technically not true. I know how to write them when they are explicate, it's toning them down for use on FFN that I have the problem with. I have to change a lot of dirty words for some more innocuous ones. If I'm too descriptive then I could get kicked of the site. If I don't give enough details then I could get a lot of irate reviewers giving me a hard time. So you can see my problem. I'm sorry if this isn't up to your standards but I had to check with other lemons on the site and go from there.

This fic is written from two perspectives, normal and Robins. It will probably be a common occurrence that some parts of future chapters are told from Robin's point of view. I've left out the little notes that tell you whether it's his POV or normal POV as it should be obvious. If you have any trouble with it, it goes: Normal, Robin, Robin, Normal, Robin, Normal, Normal, Robin, Normal. If there are enough of you still having problems with it then send me a review and I will change it.

Teen Titans: Blood, Earth and Shade

Author: The Omakeer

Disclaimer: the chances of me ever owning Teen Titans are next to none, as I'm work shy and have never bothered with the lottery.

Chapter Three: A Night Out

* * *

As usual, the train to Jump City was running late. 

It was meant to arrive early evening. It was already dark and had yet to pull into the station. Technical difficulties were explained for the delay, when in fact the driver had a 'meeting' with his girlfriend at one of the previous stops. Most passengers passed the time rereading their newspapers and magazines. Those traveling with others took the opportunity to take a nap.

A family of three children, two boys and a girl, traveled in relative silence. Grant was the eldest child, and the most serious. Like his siblings, he had blue eyes and white hair, though his was cut as a short crew-cut. His body was strong and muscular from years of non-stop training. He kept one eye out the window to spot when they approached Jump City; the other was used to watch the other passengers, just in case.

Joseph, or Joey as his little sister called him, was the middle child. As apposed to his brother, Joey was the quiet one, though not by choice. As a young child, his throat was accidentally cut, severing his vocal cords and making him a mute. This posed little problem in his every day life, as his family were so used to him now that they could tell what he was trying to say from his body language. His hair was extremely messy, though not enough to impede his vision. He sat reading his book and absent mindedly stroking his sisters hair.

Rose was the youngest and the apple of her father's eye. The archetypical 'daddy's little girl', and therefore, could do no wrong in his eyes. This didn't cause a rift between her and her brothers however, as they doted on her almost as much as their father did. Her hair was long and silvery, as it was better kept than her brothers was. She laid spread out on the train seats, sleeping soundly and using Joey's thigh as a pillow.

The driver mumbled almost incoherently over the train's intercom that they would be pulling into Jump City station shortly and that he was sorry for the delay, though it didn't sound very sincere.

Checking out the window to see if the announcement was accurate, Grant turned to his brother, "You had better wake Rosie up now Joseph. We're going to have a bit of a walk ahead of us when we get into the city. It's best if she's fully awake for when we arrive."

Joey nodded, folded the corner of the page in his book to mark his place, and then gently shook his sister awake.

"Uhh… wha?" Rose mumbled as she sat up, rubbing her eyes, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet Rosie," Grant said, rolling his neck to get the kinks out, "Any minute now though."

Rose moaned in frustration, slumped back in her seat and leaned her head on Joey's shoulder. "Did daddy even say why he wanted us to come meet up with him?"

"No he didn't," Grant sighed, "But to call us away from mother it must be important."

"Isn't it always?" Rose asked, looking listlessly out the window. "It will be nice to see him after so long though."

Joey looked at his watch. He frowned before showing it to Grant.

"I know we should have been there hours ago Joseph," Grant said, rubbing his eyes, "What do you want? I couldn't make the train arrive on schedule."

"Calm down now boys," Rose smiled as the train began to slow down, "Lets not start fighting. We are here now. Let's just get our bags and go meet up with daddy."

The brothers both nodded, succumbing easily to their sister's charms. Grabbing their bags from the overhead storage, the three siblings quickly made their way off the train and out into the city.

* * *

I knocked Terra down on her ass for the tenth time that night. She rubbed her backside and muttered something vaguely insulting about me and my parentage. 

It had been a week since I had started training her and she had come on in leaps and bounds, impressing me with her amazing aptitude for learning. Her dedication was equally as astounding. Just like tonight, she often asked for extra training after dinner. She was still at the stage where she tried to rush her opponent, but I was confident that after a few more sessions she would lose that bad habit.

"That didn't look like any karate move I've ever seen," Terra complained, standing up and still rubbing her behind.

"That's because it was a jujitsu move," I smiled; keeping my body loose for the attack I knew was coming. She didn't look happy with my response.

"That's not fare," she moaned, still trying to circle around me, "I thought we were learning karate. You can't just start doing moves I haven't even learned."

"I'm not teaching you karate, Terra." She looked confused so I explained; "I'm teaching you an amalgamation of about fifty different fighting styles. The best attack and defense moves from them all. This will help you if you ever have to face anyone competent at martial arts. They'll be too busy defending for one style to block an attack from another."

Terra chose that moment to try and rush me again. I saw it coming a mile away. With a couple of quick moves I had her pinned to the practice mat. I was about to comment on her technique when my head suddenly became fuzzy. I looked down at her and was shocked. Her eye lids were fluttering, her hair seemed to flow about like water, and her lips were pouting up at me. I blinked again and the fuzziness was gone, Terra was simply laying there, looking up at me but breathing heavily from the previous exertion.

I got up as calmly as I could before helping Terra to her feet. I chalked the lapse up to a momentary burst of hormones. I had been spending a lot of time with her recently; it was only natural that I would become more attracted to her.

"I think that's enough for today Terra," I said, grabbing some towels and bottles of water from the bench, handing one of each to Terra. "We can pick it up again tomorrow if you'd like."

"When will I be as good as you?" Terra asked, wiping away her sweat with the towel. I tried not to watch her as she drank from the bottle.

"Probably never," I admitted, hoping I didn't sound too arrogant. "I've been training all my life, I know over a hundred different forms of unarmed combat, and I was trained by the best."

Terra stepped up close and spoke in hushed tones, "I wonder if that's all you are trained." Without another word she placed her towel over her shoulder and left the gym.

I quickly left for my room to take a shower. Partly because I wanted to go out tonight, but also to cool down my raging hormones. Terra was a natural flirt, flirting with everyone from Beast Boy to even Starfire. But lately she has been focusing most of it towards me. She may even think she was being subtle about it.

In most of the teen romance films that are available, the led male is either looking for a relationship, or trying to attract a girl, that they believe is perfect for them. In these films the guy always have a female best friend that are either lifelong or they meet at the start of the film. By the end of the film the male the guy realizes that he doesn't want what he thought was the perfect girl, but wants his best friend, who coincidently was in love with him since she met him. The whole point of the story is that the guy is too wrapped up in himself and his own problems to notice what's going on around him.

I've never had that problem. I notice everything.

I notice the supposedly subtle glances, how close she sits near me at meal times and the requests to spend more time with me. A part of me is flattered, even tempted to respond in kind. But there are two problems with doing that, one of whom I bumped into after I finished my shower and made my way to the rec-room.

Raven stepped quietly out of her room, she had her hood up and a large book clutched close to her chest. When she noticed me approaching she smiled softly and pulled down her hood. Raven had been spending almost as much time with me as Terra had. She was a little more subtle in her actions than Terra was. But not by much. Since Raven didn't express her emotions often, it was a little easier to notice when she did.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to Raven. There wasn't a day went by that I didn't think about the time I saw her naked. I thought about her more than I thought about Terra. And I could tell from both their body languages that they found me attractive. But that led to a problem all its own.

At first I thought that neither one knew the other liked me and was just trying to attract me on their own. This theory failed as I knew for a fact that girls told each other everything, so at least one of them had to tell the other that they liked me. This realization did however spawn three new theories.

The first was that one girl had told the other that they liked me. And the other girl, for some unknown reason decided to try and bag me first. Though this was the most likely of my three theories, I didn't like the idea that either girl would do something so malicious to anther person.

The second was that contrary to liking me, both girls were trying to attract me for some unknown bet between them to see who would succeed first. This didn't seem likely as neither of them the type to do something so petty, and I was sure they both genuinely liked me.

The third, which was the least likely of all, was that both girls liked me, knew the other did, and had some plan to share me between then. I only keep it in my mental list because even my hormones get out of hand some times. That and I like the idea of being the play thing of two beautiful young girls.

"Why aren't you training?" Raven asked, it had been a week and it still surprised me that chat about something other than work. "You usually stay there later than this."

I knew with out looking at a watch that it was almost ten. I usually trained till midnight. But not tonight. "I felt like going out on patrol for a while. Get some fresh air you know?"

Ravens eyes narrowed, "Cyborg said you've been staying up later and later recently. Is anything the matter?"

I was a little miffed that Cyborg had even noticed, "I've never needed much sleep Raven." that wasn't technically true. I haven't really slept in years. When I was first beginning my training with Batman he taught me a Middle Eastern form of meditation. I can put myself into a deep trance that in two hours gives me the same amount of energy sleeping for eight does. It also leaves me aware of my surroundings, just in case someone tries to attack me or if there is an emergency. My mind becomes a blank slate, I don't even dream.

Lately however this technique hasn't been working so well. About an hour after I enter my trance my mind becomes distracted by thoughts of Raven and Terra and waking me. It's gotten progressively worse as the days have passed. I'm going out tonight to try and… clear my head.

As we entered the rec-room Raven spoke up again. "I was going to read this book tonight… but if you want I could… well…"

I knew she was asking if she could come with me, and a big part of me was interested. An opportunity like this would probably never happen again. But the logical part of me knew if I spent the night out with Raven then I wouldn't be able to clear my head. I was saved from trying to talk my way out by the timely intervention of Starfire.

"Greetings my friends. Friend Robin, I was wondering if you could help me with my brought home school work?"

"I'm sorry Star but I'm just about to go out," I turned to the dark girl beside me, "but Raven is very smart. I'm sure she would love to help you."

The look on Raven's face said a lot. Surprise on the complement, shock at what I said, and a promise of a painful death at her hands. I resisted the urge to laugh as Starfire dragged Raven over to the sofa before she could object. Quickly as I could I made my way to the garage, mounted my motorcycle, and rode off into the city.

I do briefly ride around the city just to make sure there aren't any actual crimes occurring. Then I made my way towards the centre of the city. As I was still in my costume I made my way to a club called 'Secret Weapons'. The club tailored mostly to Metahumans. So as a rule, no one could come in without a costume, though this just meant most of the teens came dressed as the Justice League. Once I parked my bike I made my way to the entrance. I knew the bouncer on the door and he waved me in straight away.

In side the club it was extremely busy. I spotted a few kids I was sure weren't metahuman. This club was popular for any normal kid that could get in for two reasons. One: they liked the idea that they might get to dance with a superhero, even though most of the meta's in here were super villains. And two: because the age for meta's to buy drinks was lower then for normal people as metahuman metabolisms broke down alcohol at an accelerated rate, this didn't help them though as the bartenders were telepaths.

I bought myself a drink, which was easy as the bartender mistook not being able to read my mind as a metahuman ability, and then found myself a seat away from, but in full view of the dance floor. As I found a seat I noticed a lot of people staring at me, most are probably trying to figure out if I'm really Robin, the rest know who I am, but are just too nervous to attempt to talk to me.

When you looked back on my past relationships, most of which are one night stands, it could be said that I have a thing for metas. But I don't, not really any way. The fact that I have no real social life, I have to meet girls whilst I'm working. Both heroes and villains.

Batman wasn't happy about this, but he didn't comment on it. He had had his fare share of metas himself. We both seem to a large amount of female admirers. He did insist however that he putting a special compartment on my utility belt to hold prophylactics. It took me two nights to stop accidentally pulling them out instead of my birdarangs.

I smelled the pheromones in the air before I saw who they came from. After our second encounter with Poison Ivy, Batman had insisted that we both build a resistance to them. It had been useful, but we did spend a month walking around the cave in a daze.

The scent mixed in with the pheromones was unmistakable, I had noticed it the first time we met and I was sure Cyborg had too. Oil of Olay, Rosewater and a hint of Lavender. She had a bottle of what smelled like vodka and cranberry, no doubt her second or third bottle. She sat across from me with a confident smile on her face, though her body language told me she was nervous.

"Hello Boy Wonder, I haven't seen you in here before."

"Hello Jinx," I said, keeping my face blank, "I don't really come in here that often."

"I have to admit that I had to build up my confidence before I came over here," she said, nervously picking the label off the bottle. "I thought you would hit me with that staff of yours as soon as I approached you."

"Have you done anything to warrant me hitting you?"

"Not lately," she smiled mischievously, "and you won't find anything on my record either."

"Why's that?" I already knew why, I just asked to keep the conversation going.

"I did a… favour for some government types. Something I'm not aloud to even talk about. As a thank you they wiped my record and gave me million dollars as well. They even removed all the HIVE tracking devices that were planted under my skin." I knew all this before she told me. I keep an eye on the criminal records of all the villains the Titans have faced, just in case they re-offend in another city. When I got back into the city last week and found that Jinx's record had been wiped I knew there was only one explanation.

The government had a secret project they called Task Force X, but the criminals involved called it the Suicide Squad. The government would recruit metahuman criminals with varying powers to go into a country and complete a covert mission that the USA couldn't be associated with. If the villains came back alive from these 'suicide' missions they would receive a full pardon, their criminal records erased, and a million dollars either in cash or in the bank. This appealed to a lot of super villains as a couple of days beating up foreign terrorists was better then spending the better part of their lives in prison.

"So what are you planning to do next? Back to the HIVE?"

"No," Jinx said, starting to sound more sure of herself, "I'm tired of having my ass handed to me by you and Titans all the time. Plus Mammoth was making advances towards me before I was imprisoned and I doubt he's the type of guy that takes rejection well. Maybe I'll branch out on my own."

"Maybe you could get a job. I hear GAP is hiring."

Jinx's shock at my joke quickly turned to laughter, she finally seemed to relax. "So why are you here alone then? Looking for some wannabe super villain or have the other Titans finally driven you to drink?"

I smiled and leaned in a little closer, "every now and then I like to get out of the tower and do something… bad."

Jinx leaned in closer too, "what? Like mugging an old lady bad? Or just getting stinking drunk bad?"

"The kind of bad thing that it takes two people to do."

As Jinx realized what I meant she smiled seductively and her pheromone output increased. "And do you have anyone in mind to help you in this bad deed?"

"Maybe you could help me figure that out."

Moving quicker than I thought she could, Jinx pulled me into a kiss. Not an affectionate kiss, but one filled with raw lust. She pulled and breathed lustfully, "what time do you have to get home Boy Wonder?"

* * *

It wasn't long until we were at the dingy hotel room Jinx was staying in. It had one main room with the bed in the middle and a small kitchen area in the corner, the door to the side led to a small bathroom, a neon sign could be seen buzzing just outside the window. As soon as the door closed she pushed me up against the wall and started kissing me almost ravenously. The light switch was digging into my back and would no doubt leave a bruise. But at that moment I didn't really care. We quickly kicked off our boots and began to pull off each others clothes, unclipping my cape and body armor and unbuttoning her top. 

Once I was topless and she had removed her black lace bra, Jinx began kissing down my chest, taking off my belt and pulling down my on her way. It wasn't long before she had my member in her mouth. I had been given this kind of attention in my past encounters, but Jinx was easily the best. Before I got too lost in my own pleasure I stopped Jinx, standing her up and giving her a deep kiss.

Still kissing her, I moved Jinx towards the bed, unbuttoning her skirt on the way. I laid her down on the bed, kissing my way down her neck and across her collarbone, with Jinx's encouraging hands running through my hair. I worked on each breast individually before moving down her smooth stomach. I pulled off her black panties as I went, Jinx lifting up her bottom so I could remove them. I kissed along Jinx's thighs before finally diving in for a taste her.

With in a couple of seconds Jinx was moaning and thrashing about. Her thighs pressed against the sides of my head and her heels rubbed up and down my back. I used my hands as well to touch pleasure points on her body that she probably didn't even know about. After a couple of orgasms, Jinx dug her nails into my head. I felt blood trickling down my forehead but I was far too busy to care.

After a few minutes of my ministrations, Jinx stopped me, pulling me up to her for a kiss that was more lustful than all the previous ones. Though her hair was still mostly in its usual style, quite a few strands had come loose and were sticking to her sweat covered face.

I positioned myself above Jinx as she spread her legs; once I pushed in she wrapped her legs around me. Once I built up a steady rhythm Jinx's moaning increased. She sat up momentarily, kissing me hungrily and digging her nails into my back before laying back again. Jinx spread her legs wide, eventually moving them up beside my head, making me push in deeper.

Not long after this, Jinx flipped us over so that she was sat on top. She soon started pumping to her own rhythm. She scratched my chest, moved her hands up and massaged her breasts before finally running her fingers through her hair.

After a few more furious thrusts, Jinx's body shuddered in ecstasy, mine following soon after. After one last moan, Jinx collapsed on top of me. Her breathing was heavy and she was covered in sweat. I brushed the strands of hair away from her face and smiled at her. Jinx smiled sleepily back before her eyes fluttered shut, her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

* * *

Grant, Joey and Rose had been wondering around for almost two hours. Grant had insisted that when they got into the city he wouldn't need a map. That he could easily find the warehouse district. It hadn't proved to be as simple as he thought. 

"Can't we just ask someone for directions?" Rose asked, feeling increasingly frustrated with her brother.

"And who exactly should we ask Rosie?" Grant asked, starting to fell frustrated himself. "The only people out at this time are drunks walking home and thugs looking for easy pray. Trust me. We're at the coast line now; if we keep following it we're bound to find the warehouse district eventually."

"But the coast line goes on for miles," Rose moaned, "I we might not even be going the right way."

"Trust me Rosie." Grant smiled as he pulled his sister into a one armed hug.

Rose just grumbled and looked away from her brother. Suddenly her eyes lit up, she ran over to the guard rail and looked out across the water. "Look its Titans Tower. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be." Rose rested her head on her arms and let out a sigh. "Must be nice to know where your home is no matter where you are in the city."

Joey rolled his eyes, let out a sigh and shook his head.

"You're right Joseph," Grant said, "She spends far too much time thinking about superheroes. She's obsessed."

"I am not," Rose said, indignantly, "I just like to keep track of who's who."

"Come on now Rosie," Grant said taking his sisters hand, "let's get going. We don't want to be out here all night."

"Okay Grant," Rose said, looking back at the tower, "I wonder if we'll ever get a closer look at it."

"We will Rosie," Grant said, looking back as well, "we will."

* * *

The shower in Jinx's hotel room apparently didn't have any hot water. I didn't mind really, the one in the Bat Cave didn't have any either. I know Cyborg had spotted the smell of perfume when I had come home late once; I wasn't going to make that mistake again. I would probably have another shower when I got back to the tower 

As I washed off the dry blood and cleaned the various cuts Jinx's nails had given me I thought about the night's events. I knew that eventually I might regret having had sex with Jinx, if only for the fact that if any of the other Titans found out they would be upset with me. The soul point of me going out tonight was to find someone to have sex with, the fact that it was Jinx was just a lucky accident.

The plan was to go out, have sex with someone and hopefully clear my head of the dirty images of Raven and Terra. It seemed to have worked, I hadn't thought of either of the since I started talking to Jinx in the club. Perhaps tonight I might be able to get some much needed rest.

I finished my shower and dried myself with a cheap hotel towel that felt more like sandpaper. As I stepped back into the bedroom to find my clothes I saw that Jinx was awake, laying on the bed in a sultry pose and an expression on her face that I had seen once before. My foster father brought a dead bird home once, it had the exact same look on its face as it dropped the body at my feet. The look seemed fitting on Jinx for some reason.

"You can just leave your money on the dresser thanks."

"Funny."

"Oh come on now," Jinx sat on her knees and placed her hands on her chest, "I hope you weren't expecting me to fall head over heels for you. "Oh Robin, please stay with me. I want to marry you some day and have your babies.""

"I take that means you don't want a bunch of flowers and a mix tape?" I pulled on my pants and clipped on my utility belt. "Can I ask why you did decide to have sex with me then?"

Jinx shrugged, "because you're cute." I resisted the urge to laugh. "Plus I was hoping I could tell people I broke the Boy Wonder's heart." I did laugh at that.

"You're not the first villainess that I've been with Jinx; you might not even be the last."

"You been with anyone I know?" she asked, suddenly becoming very interested.

"Probably, but no one I'm going to tell you about. I don't kiss and tell." I pulled my green undershirt on and looked for my boots.

"So you're not going to go back to the tower and tell the others how you bagged me?" I shook my head no as I finished fastening my boots. "That's good to know. To be honest with you, I wasn't expecting you to be here when I woke up."

I finished attaching my body armor and clipping on my cape before moving next to the bed. "People constantly underestimate me. That's why I let them call me Boy Wonder; it makes others think I'm weak and small."

Jinx smiled and pulled me down for a kiss, "well I can testify that you aren't a boy where it counts. And you are definitely aren't weak or small, again where it counts. I'd like to do this again, the talking if not the sex."

I smiled and pressed the end of her nose, "well if you keep you nose clean we will." I stepped away from the bed and made my why to the window.

"I'll try, but no promises," she said as she pulled the bed sheets over her body.

I smiled as I opened the window, "see you around Jinx." with that said I jumped out the window and off into the night.

* * *

Despite Grants best efforts, he and his siblings were still lost. But he knew the warehouse district was somewhere around here. He could sense it. And frankly he could wait. All three of them had been traveling all day to get to the city. His brother and sister weren't the only ones looking forward to some much needed rest. 

"Aww look guys, these kids seem to be lost."

All three sibling's attention focused on the thirteen thugs, all of them in their twenties, dressed as bikers and armed with chains, baseball bats and flick-knifes, stepped out from behind parked cars and from dark alleys and surrounded the three teenagers.

"You guys have two choices," the leader said, smirking at his pray, "either give us your bags and all your money or we beat the crap out of you two fellas, take your stuff anyway, and also take the girl with us for a little extra fun."

Grant, Joey and Rose ignored the threats, dropping their bags and stand with their backs to each other, ready to defend themselves when the thugs attacked.

None of the siblings were sure what happened next it happened so fast. Birdarangs flying through the air and striking the thugs and the swinging of a staff was all either teenager saw until all the thugs were unconscious on the floor.

Looking around themselves the teenagers spotted Robin standing over the unconscious form of the gangs leader, taking cable-ties out of his utility belt and binding his hands and feet.

"The police will be here shortly. Are you guys okay?" Robin asked as he moved from one thug to another, tying them up too.

"Yes, thanks you," Grant said watching the speed with which Robin worked, "do you happen to know where the warehouse district is?"

Robin finished his work, stood up and pointed down the street, "its two blocks down and one over."

Grant looked to where Robin pointed, "Thanks a lot, we…" when he turned back, Robin was gone. "Impressive."

"Yeah," Rose agreed, looking around to see where robin disappeared too, "he was kind of cute too." Grant and Joey both rolled there eyes.

Joey held a level hand a couple of inches above his head.

"Yeah Joseph, I thought he'd be taller too," Grant said, picking up his bags. "Come on, it's not far now."

* * *

Raven and Terra sat on the sofa in the Titans rec-room, each with a warm drink. Raven was wearing her dark purple pajamas and drinking herbal tea, Terra wore her large Batman t-shirt with large grey socks and drinking hot chocolate. The two often went to their rooms and changed out of their uniforms then came back into the rec-room after the others had gone to bed. It was a great way for them to watch the movies they wanted to and spend a little time together. 

"Have you had any luck with Robin?" Terra asked.

Raven let out a sigh, "no, not really. I was going to see if he wanted any company when he went out on patrol. But Starfire interrupted and I somehow got talked into helping her with her homework. How about you?"

Terra shook her head, "I'm sure he's noticed that I've been flirting with him but he's not responded so far." Terra finished off the last of her hot chocolate and placed the empty mug on the table. "At least one good thing has come from this though. I'm sure I like him too now."

Raven smiled as she finished the last of her tea, "I told you so."

Terra just rolled her eyes, "don't get a big head now Raven. I was thinking maybe we should go with Starfire to the mall this Saturday, maybe get some clothes that Robin is bund to notice."

Raven frowned slightly, "but if he notices the others will too. I don't want them knowing about my feelings for Robin or you, even if we manage to get him."

"If any of the others ask any questions we can just say I bullied you into wearing the clothes."

Raven's eyes narrowed, "and what makes you think you can bully me?"

Terra quickly pounced on Raven, pinning her to the sofa, "you tell me." before Raven could respond Terra kissed her. They rolled about on the couch, touching and caressing each other. Suddenly Raven stopped and held Terra at arms length.

"Someone just pulled into the garage," Raven breathed heavily, "I think Robin's back."

The girls both jumped up and went to the kitchen area, readjusting their clothing as they went. They were getting out drinks and snacks when Robin entered the room.

"Hey Robin," Terra said, "We're just about to watch a DVD. Do you want to join us?"

Robin looked at both girls, noticing the way they were both dressed. After a moment he finally nodded and sat down on the sofa.

Raven and Terra brought the snacks over and sat down on either side of Robin. Raven floated her copy of 'Idle Hands' into the DVD player. As the movie played Raven and Terra had the same idea, they began inching themselves closer to Robin. Half way through the film they both looked at Robin, and noticed he wasn't watching the film. His head was leaned back and his breathing was slow and even. Though they couldn't see with his mask on, both girls were sure his eyes were closed.

"Robin?" Terra shook the Boy Wonder slightly, "Robin? He's asleep. Do you think we should wake him?"

"No, lets leave him," Raven said, "he might not like being woken, plus he looks kind of cute when he sleeps."

"You could teleport him to his room," Terra suggested.

"He might freak out if he wakes up in a different room."

"Oh well, I guess we should go to bed then," Terra said, turning off the DVD player and standing up. "It's a shame, I was hoping that we could talk with him some more."

As Terra left the room, Raven looked down at the Boy Wonder, "good night Robin."

* * *

As soon as the girls left the room I opened my eyes. I didn't like pretending to be asleep like that but I needed more information and that was the only thing I could think of. 

From what they talked about and the way they acted around each other I gave up on my first theory. They both obviously knew that each other liked me, so one of them wasn't being vindictive to the other. This did however make my other two theories more plausible.

The fuzziness in my head came back in full force. The image of Raven and Terra pulling off each others night clothes appeared before my eyes. The two of them kissing and caressing each other.

I let out a sigh, got up and made my way towards my room. I doubted I'd be getting much rest in the foreseeable future.

* * *

Grant, Joey and Rose felt great relief as they finally entered the warehouse district. Finding new energy the siblings jogged to the warehouse they were looking for. It was fairly innocuous looking; most people would pass by and not give it a second look. Grant punched in the access code on the keypad next to the door. Once it swung open the three teens entered. 

They passed the large inactive machines and made their way to the back of the building and the service elevator positioned there. Entering another access code the siblings descended below the floor.

They descended into an underground chamber. A large, highly advanced computer stood along one wall, a large space was devoted to a training area, and there were also a number of doors pensioned around the room that led to as yet unknown places. The three teens stood around waiting for there father to show up, they didn't have to wait long.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't turn up," Slade stepped out of the shadows, "hello my children."

Grant and Joey bowed there heads in respect for their father, Rose simply hugged him, "hello daddy."

"Hello princess," Slade said, hugging his daughter back, "it is good to see you again, all of you."

"How can we help you sir?" Grant asked.

"For now I just want you all to watch and train," Slade said, placing a hand on Grant's shoulder, "all will become clear soon."

To be continued…

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I tried not to make Robin seem to arrogant but I'm not sure if I pulled it off. I didn't want to make him seem like some sexual deviant that sleeps around on girls. He likes Raven and Terra, he just hasn't decided who to go for yet. So he's still free to sleep with who he wants. Don't worry though, I don't have any plans for Robin to sleep with anyone else until he starts hanging out more with Raven and Terra. 

I thought about putting another Lemon scene in where Raven and Terra started kissing. But then Robin would have walked in on them and that would have ruined future chapters.

* * *

**Domionlord:** You think I'm a genius? Really? I though I was an okay writer but never a genius one. I hope your yearning was sated with this chapter. 

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH:** There probably won't be a scene with Raven feeding in the first few chapters but I do have one planned. One people are sure to enjoy.

**Cherry Jade:** You reviewed both chapters, thank you so much. I hope you like what I've done with Robin in this chapter as it took me a while to get it sorted in my head. Making Wildebeest a kid wasn't really my idea, I got it from one of the Teen Titans Go comics but I'm still glad you liked it. I barely noticed the jokes Raven made about Beast Boy as they come so naturally, I hope you liked the few jokes that were in this chap.

**HorusRei:** Hope you liked the side of Robin you get to see in this chapter. I personally like stories with lots of detail. I won't read a story with less than a thousand words per chapter, as such I've tried to put as much detail in this fic as possible. Longer stories are always better. About Starfire: I watched the episode Masks recently with my little brother. At the start where Star tried to talk to the robot and it shot her, my brother let out a tisk. But when all the Titans are in the station and Star tries to talk to Red X, my brother asked me: "Why is she such a dick?" I could think of an answer for why she was or why she wasn't. I like Starfire for comic relief, just not as a romantic interest for Robin.

**Yersi Fanel:** It's nice to know I have a review that isn't just from America or the UK. I wouldn't be able to read you stories though. I can barely speak English never mind any other language.

**Midori Aoi:** Raven doesn't strike me as the sort to try seduction, in this chapter I just had her spending more time with Robin as well as talking to him more. And since Robin doesn't sleep or dream, the dirty thoughts are finding another way out. More on that in the next chapter. Hope you like the little Lemon in this chapter.

**Julius Faust:** I'm glade you find my story so intriguing and that you like the pairing. Also to clarify for you, my Robin is the one currently in the DC comics, Tim Drake. There a three reasons for this: 1: When I started reading comics Tim Drake was Robin and so I know more about him than I do the others. 2: I only really see Richard Grayson as Nightwing since that's who he was when I started read comics. And 3: I used to watch the Batman TV show when I was younger, and as such I could never take Richard Grayson as Robin seriously. I hope that clears it up for you.

**Darth Yuen of DEATH:** I hope you like the Lemon I did for this chapter.


	4. What Dreams May Come

**Author's Notes:** I have no excuse for this chapter coming out so late other than the fact that I've been feeling really lazy lately. I've been trying to catch up with my fanfictions, reading the new chapters and rereading old ones. I've also had a couple of books that I've needed to read as well. I'll try harder to get new chapters out sooner.

Some of you have commented that there wasn't a lot of Robin/Terra interaction in past chapters. That's mostly because when I first planned this fic out it was just Robin/Raven and Terra/Beast Boy, which I'm sure a lot more people would have liked. But because I have a pathological need to make my life harder than it needs to be, I decided to make it Robin/Raven/Terra. As such there are still some kinks that need smoothing out. Don't worry though, chapter six is almost all Robin/Terra.

I'm looking for a beta, someone who can read through my new chapters and tell me where it needs work, either with characters or on how to make the story longer. If you'd like the job leave me a review, if I like you (don't worry I'm not that picky) I'll email the new chapter to you when it's written, and once you've beta'd (is that a word?) just send it back to me and I'll praise you for all eternity. I may even pick more than one of you as a beta and bat it back and forth between a few of you, just to make this story all the better.

Thanks to Arein for coming up with a list of names for Wildebeest. The one I used is because of the reason you put in your review.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans, I don't even dream of owning them. My dreams mostly involve me being friends with demonic beings and having sex with women I'm reasonably sure don't exist.

**Chapter Four:** What Dreams May Come

* * *

Raven had a secret. One that she never told anyone about, not even Terra. She liked chess. It wasn't just that she liked playing it; everyone in the tower knew that. It was that fact that she always won.

It was one of the few things she took any pride in, even if only on the inside. When ever she beat someone she would never mock her opponent or jumped up and down or even smile smugly. At least not on the outside. Inside Happy sang and did the 'Happy Dance', Pride shone so bright it was blinding, even Intelligence had a smug look on her face for the rest of the day.

So far Raven had played against almost all the Titans. Starfire had picked up the game quite quickly, though she had asked hundreds of questions about the names of all the pieces. Aqua Lad had surprised Raven by telling her they had chess in Atlantis, but he too was beaten by the dark Goth. Raven had even taught Beast Boy how to play. That was probably the shortest game in history and Beast Boy had vowed never to play again.

Raven's biggest challenge so far had been Cyborg. As well as being incredibly smart on his own, the computerised part of his brain had downloaded every possible move and strategy known to the chess playing world. Raven still managed to beat him. Half way through their first game Raven figured out that Cyborg was calculating all of Raven's possible moves and then tried to counter with the ones that had the highest percentage of success. Raven beat this strategy by using the moves with the least chance of success. This confused Cyborg and his CPU brain. It took almost two hours for her to beat him, but Raven chalked it up as one of her greatest victories.

The only Titan Raven had yet to play against was Robin. When ever she had been free to play against him he was busy training, whenever he was free she was meditating. Even though lately she had more free time to play, Robin was far too busy training Terra in the martial arts. Raven planned to ask Terra to finish training early one night so she could challenge the Boy Wonder. It would have to be especially early as she was sure Robin would be hard to beat.

Currently Raven was playing against Terra. It was a good chance for a quiet game as Beast Boy and Starfire had already left for school and the other Titans where already where they were going to be for the rest of the day. Terra was good, after all Raven had taught her, but she was no Cyborg. Raven had already planed out her next four moves whist Terra was still thinking of her next one.

"What are you doing here?"

Raven and Terra jump slightly in surprise, though Raven hid it better. Both girls looked up from their game and saw Robin standing next to the table, neither of them had noticed him even enter the room. His hair was a bit more messed up than usual and he seemed to be slouching ever so slightly, if the girls could see his eyes they would have noticed bags were starting to form under them.

"Err… playing chess." Terra said, obviously confused.

Robin glared at Terra, "I can see that. I meant why are you here? You were supposed to meet me in the gym an hour ago."

"That's my fault Robin," Raven said, apologetically, "I just wanted a quick game. I didn't think it would take this long to beat her."

Terra glared at Raven, "I'm sorry Robin but I can't train yet. Someone has to beat Raven at this game at least once and I'm not leaving until it's done."

Robin let out a sigh and looked down at the game. After a second he moved Terra's bishop, "checkmate. There, you win, can we go now."

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in for Raven. When they did she was confused and looked down at the board. The confusion turned to shock and she leaned over the board to get a better look. Raven couldn't believe it. She had lost. She hadn't lost a game of chess since she was first taught it back in Azarath. And it was such a blatantly obvious move that she doubted Beast Boy would have missed it.

"Wait," Raven called out as Robin headed towards the door, "I want a game against you."

"Raven I'm going to train," Robin said, listlessly.

"You can't just do a fluke move like that and then walk away. I want another game."

Robin let out a sigh, "just a quick one then."

Raven finished putting the chess pieces back into their starting positions. She knew she would beat Robin now. He had only won that game because the pieces had already been set up for him. And Raven herself had only missed that move because she was concentrating on her other moves. That had to be it. He couldn't possibly beat her in a real game.

Robin beat her in five moves.

Robin smiled to himself. Raven had just insisted on another game. It had been ten minutes and she had yet to make her first move. Robin doubted anyone else would have noticed how much this game meant to Raven. He had to admit he was tempted to lose on purpose, but he knew Raven wouldn't like that, and frankly neither would he.

Robin's head suddenly became fuzzy again. He had only got ten minutes of meditation done last night it had become so bad. He looked towards the kitchen area and saw Terra moving about and getting a drink, except that she was only wearing an apron. As he looked across the table at Raven he saw her holding one of her castle pieces up to her mouth and sucking it seductively. Robin rubbed the palms of his hands against his eyes, hoping to stop the images.

"Are you okay Robin?" Robin looked up from his hands into the concerned faces of Raven and Terra. The images had stopped.

"I'm fine, just more tiered than I thought I was. Did Starfire manage to get Wildebeest off to pre-school okay?" Robin asked, hoping to change the subject.

"She did," Terra said, "but he's called Matthew now."

Robin smiled, "so she finally decided on a name, huh. Why did she choose Matt…?"

Robin cut his question shot when he heard something. It sounded like a motorbike approaching the tower. 'But I shouldn't be able to hear it from all the way up here," Robin thought.

Before he could ask the girls if they heard it too, the main windows to the rec-room shattered as something flew through them. All three Titans were in defence positions in record time, ready to defend themselves and their home.

What had smashed trough the windows and was now parked in the middle of the room looked like a Harley Davidson with rockets strapped to its sides. But the person riding it looked even more unusual. He was the same height and build as Robin; he even had a similar hair style. His skin was chalk white and his eyes were yellow, he had black markings around them, with points at the ends going up towards his forehead and down towards his cheeks. He wore a grey shirt with picture of an alien skull on it. His boots were black, with straps and guards going up his shins and covering his knees. His black leather gloves were fingerless and exposed his black fingernails.

"How's it going bird-boy?" he asked, smiling at Robin.

"Slobo?" Robin relaxed a little but didn't smile back, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm in town for a bit of business," Slobo said, hopping off his bike, "I thought I'd stop by and see if you wanted to go for a drink."

"Err… Robin?" Raven asked, still keeping her guard up, "who exactly is this?"

"It's kind of a long story. Do you know who Lobo is?" both Raven and Terra nodded. "Well, a couple of years ago he got a spell put on him and got turned into a teenager. He came to earth looking for a way to try and fix it. He met me and a few of my friends and ended up hanging around with us. We all ended up going to an alien planet and were captured, but little Lobo was beaten to a bloody mess and we thought he was dead. Turned out that every single drop of blood turned into a copy of him and came to our rescue. Two were left over. One became fully grown and went of to be Lobo again. And the other you see before you, who decided to call himself Slobo. Still with the teenager spell on him, but just as dangerous as his bigger self."

"And so you see the Top Teen before you ladies," Slobo said, holding his arms wide open, "the universes best bounty hunter, next to Lobo of course. So what do you say bird-boy? You up for a drink?"

A small smile crept on to Robin's lips, "sure, why not? Let me just go change."

Robin turned and jogged off towards his room. Once Robin was gone Slobo looked towards the girls, he sniffed the air and then grinned at them.

"So… you two are lesbians," the shock on Raven and Terra's faces made Slobo smile even more. "But I can also tell you've both been sending a lot of time with bird-boy. Hoping for a little three-way action going are we?" when neither of them said no his smile widened. "Wow, two girls at once, didn't know he had it in him. Does he know that you like him?"

"No," Raven said through gritted teeth, glaring at Slobo. Her body language practically screamed that if he told Robin then he'd die. Painfully.

Slobo laughed out loud, "I wouldn't count on that if I were you babe. Very sharp is bird-boy, at least for a human. I'm sure he already knows when something is going on."

"Are you going to tell him?" Terra asked, trying to match Raven's glare, but falling short.

"What would be the fun in that?" Slobo smiled, in what the girls could only guess was supposed to be kindness. "I'm sure he'll figure it all out soon enough, that is, if he hasn't already."

Any further conversation was stopped as Robin re-entered the room. He had on a pair of black slakes, a red jumper and a black jacket; he wore a pair of sunglasses over his mask. As Robin looked back and forth between the others in the room he could almost feel the tension.

"Have you been upsetting them?" Robin asked his alien friend.

Slobo smiled, "you know me."

"That's why I'm asking."

"Can we get going then?" Slobo asked, jumping back on to his bike, "it's almost noon and I haven't had a drink for almost an hour."

"Robin, can I talk to you for a second?" Raven asked. They both stepped into the kitchen area before Raven spoke again, "are you sure you should be going with him? I've read the Justice League's files on Lobo, and this Slobo doesn't seem much better."

"Look Raven," Robin said with a good natured smile, "I know he is extremely arrogant and pretty much a sociopath. And deep down, where it counts, is probably a jerk. But despite all that he saved my life on more than one occasion. So don't worry yourself, I'll be fine."

With another smile to both girls, Robin jumped on the back of the bike. Slobo revved the engine and let out a loud "yahoo" before flying out the hole he'd made in the window.

* * *

As Beast Boy stepped out into the schools courtyard eating to his lunch he spotted Starfire sitting over the other side with almost half the student body sat around her. As he watched her chatting away he couldn't help but think about how much the school had changed since they had both started attending.

The Theodore Kord Memorial High School was just like any other. Terrible food, boring lessons, and of cause, social clicks. The Popular Kids and the Bullies, the Jocks and the Cheerleaders, the Geeks and the Goths. All keeping to themselves and trying to ignoring the others.

That all stopped when Starfire started attending.

Good-natured kindness radiated from the alien princess like heat from the sun and was more contagious than all of the diseases in the world combined. Within a week of her starting at the high school every social click had dissolved. Popular Kids were less full of themselves, Jocks stopped all forms of 'rough housing' with kids younger than them, Geeks would help others study without being pressured into it, even the Goths started coming out of their shells.

Starfire had also given a number of bullies a talking to a couple of days after she arrived. Wagging her finger at them like a stern, disappointed mother.

Beast Boy smiled at the thought. It was just like most of the teen comedies he had ever seen, a new student arriving and unifying the whole school. He suspected that if Starfire ever went to work for the United Nations there would be world peace within a month.

Starfire soon spotted Beast Boy and waved for him to come join her. As he made his way over he didn't notice the strange creature sitting in one of the trees. A creature that was just as interested in the alien princess, but for completely different reasons.

* * *

"I can't believe you brought me here."

"What? It's one of the few places in this city that sell alcohol before noon."

Robin didn't comment as he took another look around the strip club. As it was so early there weren't that many people there, mostly business men that had come in during their lunch hours and more than a few guys wearing dirty Macs. No strippers had yet to come near Robin or Slobo, mostly because Slobo had drank twelve beers in twelve minutes and was constantly talking about how the girls would all look better with a couple of more breasts and maybe some tentacles.

"I don't understand why you don't like it here," Slobo said after chugging his thirteenth beer, "I'd think you were a rump ranger if I couldn't smell the girl you were with last night all over you."

Robin glared at the alien, though it had little affect behind his mask and sunglasses. "We don't all feel the need to brag about everything we do Slobo, and some of us like to touch rather than just watch."

"What can I say?" Slobo said with a smile, "I take my hedonism very seriously."

Robin couldn't think of anything else to say as his head suddenly became fuzzy again. He was shocked as he looked around the club again. Every girl that was stripping, pole dancing or serving drinks now looked exactly like Raven and Terra. Robin didn't know where to look, the two girls he had been thinking about more and more over the passed two weeks we standing around him in various states of undress. And somehow they were all looking directly at him. Robin took of his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes through his mask.

"What the frell is wrong with you?" Slobo asked, looking Robin up and down, "you can't be drunk, you've barely touched your first drink."

"I've been seeing these… images for over a week," Robin said, still rubbing his eyes, "at first I just thought it was my hormones acting up, but now I'm starting to think it's something else. They're getting so bad I can't get any rest."

"Let me check you over. " Slobo held the sides of Robin's head and pulled mask off, looking into his eyes. He sniffed around a couple of times before letting go of the Boy Wonder. "Someone's put the whammy on you bird-boy."

"The 'whammy'?" Robin asked, disbelievingly.

"You know spells, magic, most likely a potion. I wouldn't worry though," Slobo said with, what was probably meant to be a comforting smile. "If it was anything that was going to hurt you or control your mind it would have happened by now, it certainly wouldn't take more than four days to work."

Robin ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "who the hell could have done this to me?"

"Well just think about it for a second," Slobo said, "who have you been in contact with since it started that knows anything about magic?"

It didn't take long for Robin to figure it out. There was only one person he had been with recently that knew anything about spells and magic, only one person that knew anything about potions, only one person with whom he would have let his guard down enough to be slipped a potion.

"Can you give me a lift back to the tower?" Robin asked.

Slobo drained the last of his fifteenth beer, "sure. I have to start looking for my bounty before he gets into any trouble anyway." Both Slobo and Robin made their way towards the exit.

"And if it's possible Slobo, could you land on the roof this time, those windows are expensive."

* * *

Raven had been staring at the chess board since Robin had left. She knew that if she had more time to study his strategy she could beat him. At least she could if it took him longer than five moves to beat her.

Terra watched Raven from the kitchen area where she was busy making them both something to drink. She knew Raven was more proud of chess playing then she would ever let on. She would probably spend all day obsessing over the game, at least until she had the chance to play against Robin again.

Terra almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Robin standing in the doorway, she hadn't heard him and there was no telling how long he had been there. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she could tell something was up.

It didn't take long for Raven to spot Robin too. "Oh, I'm glad you're back. I want us to have another game of…"

"Did you slip me a potion?" Robin interrupted. The look of horror and the colour draining from Raven's face answered his question, but Robin wanted to hear it from her. "Did you?"

"We both did," Terra said, stepping forward. She was just as scared as Raven over what Robin might say or do next, but she wasn't about to let her take all the blame.

Robin let out a heavy sigh and sat across from Raven, resting his elbows on the table and covering his face with his hands. After a minute of agonizing silence, both girls reasoned that he was waiting for them to say something.

"I-it wasn't going to hurt you," Raven said, desperately feeling the need to explain herself. "It was meant to help us find out how you fell about… well, about us. It was going to make you… dream."

Robin let out a mirthless chuckle, "well there was your first problem Raven. I don't dream." Robin quickly answered the question they were both thinking, "I've been trained in a form of meditation that makes sleep unnecessary. That also means I don't dream. Whatever you did to me it was making me see… images. I thought it was just a surge in hormones."

"Robin if I knew that I'd…"

"Can you take what ever it is off me?" Robin interrupted, interlocking his fingers in front of his face and staring at the girls.

"Yes… yes I can," Raven said, "it'll take a while to make but there is a potion that'll reverse everything. I'll just go and… and make it then."

When Robin made no response, Raven got up and left for her bedroom. The silence left in the room was far too painful for Terra to sit in. she needed to say something to Robin so that he might understand why they did what they did. But she didn't know what.

"Robin, w-we didn't mean any…"

"Not now Terra," Robin interrupted, never once looking at her, "just… not now."

* * *

Just like every day when school let out Beast Boy sat on the steps outside, watching the other kids begin their journeys home while he waited for Starfire to turn up. As usual the alien princess had to say goodbye to every teacher, lunch lady and janitor before she would even think of leaving the building. Not that Beast Boy minded waiting; it was hard to become annoyed with Starfire when all she was trying to do was be nice.

It wasn't long until Starfire joined her green friend, smiling and saying a thousand thank yous for waiting. Beast Boy was just happy to finally be going home, if it wasn't bad enough he had more homework than should be legal, he had to beat the high score on the Superhero Smash game that had no doubt been clocked up in his absence.

He realized wouldn't get the chance to do either of them anytime soon when the laser blast hit the ground in front of them and knocked Starfire and himself onto their backs. As the dust from the blast started to settle the one responsible for it became visible. An eight foot tall lizard man with green scales covering his body and a long tail, he wore golden body armour with gauntlets and skull cap to match, he had a large black staff that the blast was fired from, his nails were long and sharp, his lips thick and scaly and his eyes were red with a scar over his left one.

"Greetings Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran," the creature said in hissing voice, "I am Kragor of the glorious Gordanian Empire."

"Why are you here?" Starfire asked, getting to her feet but never taking her eyes of the Gordanian warrior.

"A lesser species in the Pegasus Galaxy has put a bounty on my head for the crimes I perpetrated upon them," Kragor said without a hint of remorse in his voice, "I have been running from the bounty hunters ever since. And unfortunately I've run out of money… unfortunate for you." He levelled his staff, pointing it directly at Starfire's chest. "I'm sure the Tamaranean government will be willing to pay a decent price for your safe return, although I'm sure other species would like you as a concubine. We will have to see puts in the highest bid for…"

Whatever else Kragor was about to say was cut off as a green goat slammed into his stomach, knocking him to the ground and winding him. Beast Boy jumped over the alien, transforming into a monkey as he reaching for the staff that had fallen when Kragor was knocked down. But just before he could get his little hands on it, Kragor grabbed his tail, and with one swing, threw Beast Boy high into the air.

Kragor scrambled across the ground towards his staff. As he reached for it a twisted smile formed on his face. That vanished though as a star bolt struck it and shattered the staff. He turned around in anger, looking up into the air where the energy ball had come from. Starfire hovered a few feet in the air, her eyes and hands glowing in alien energy.

"I must ask that you please desist in this deviant behaviour," Starfire said, frowning at the Gordanian, "if you do not stop then I will be forced to give you a spanking."

Kragor growled in rage as laser blasters extended from the sides of his gauntlets, firing volley after volley at the flying princess. Starfire showed amazing aerial acrobatics as she twisted through the air, throwing star bolts at the blasts she wouldn't have been able to dodge.

"You have no hope of defeating me princess," Kragor hissed gleefully, "I am the universe's mightiest warrior. I have beaten Dominators, slaughtered Khund shock troopers, and blasted Thanagarians from the sky. A pampered little princess like you has no chance against…"

Kragor's speech was cut short again, only this time by what he saw. He stared in awe at the massive, green Tyrannosaurus Rex moving down the street towards him.

He had never seen anything so magnificent in all his life.

Kragor was still staring dumbly at his reptilian god as its tail slammed into his chest, knocking him into the side of the school. Before he could even think of what to do next a glowing green fist smashed into the side of his head, breaking his jaw and knocking him out. The school kids that had been hiding when the action had started came out and started applauding, cheering their heroes for defeating the monster.

"Glorious work friend Beast Boy," Starfire smiled as he changed back to his normal form, "how ever did you know that the ancient earth reptile would affect him so?"

"Just a lucky guess," Beast Boy smiled, which quickly became a mischievous smirk, "were you really going to "spank" him, Star?"

Starfire blushed lightly, "I have been working on my "threatening talk" to convince our enemies to stop their criminal actions before we would have to resort to violent means. Was what I said wrong?"

"The promise of a spanking from you certainly wouldn't stop me from doing anything naughty." Both Titans turn round when they heard this new voice and saw a pale teen with black markings around his eyes, he was standing in front of what looked like a flying motorcycle with a mischievous look on his face.

"Who are you?" Beast Boy asked, unconsciously stepping in front of Starfire.

"Names Slobo," he said, moving towards Kragor, "I'm…"

"A Czarnian," Starfire interrupted, recognizing his species, "but… there is only supposed to be one left."

"Not anymore sweetness," Slobo smiled, "now there are two of to share the good times with the rest of the universe." Slobo moved over to Kragor and gave him a nudge with his foot, "damn, knocked out. I was hoping I'd get to take a shot at this guy. Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter how I get him as long as I do."

"Get him?" Beast Boy asked, looking from Slobo to Kragor then back again, "what do you mean get…"

"Don't worry about it green genes," Slobo said as he grabbed Kragor by his chest plate and dragged him over to his bike, "I've sorted this all out with your leader bird-boy. I'll make sure this guy makes it to the proper authorities."

After strapping Kragor securely to the back of his bike, Slobo mounted up and shot the two Titans a smile. "Tell bird-boy I'll stop by for another drink soon." With a rev of his engine, Slobo drove the bike up into the heavens.

As the Titans watched the bike sore into space Beast Boy shook his head, "where are the men in black when you really need them."

* * *

The silence in the room was killing Terra.

Robin hadn't moved since Raven had gone to make her potion. He had been sitting in the same position for almost two hours. If Terra couldn't see that he was breathing she would swear he was dead.

She couldn't understand why he was so still.

She couldn't understand why he wasn't yelling, why he wasn't throwing things about in rage, why he wasn't screaming at her and Raven. She wished he would. Wished he'd yell at her, hit her, just do something. The silence was killing her.

Thankfully that was when Raven returned. She had a glass in her hands with a bubbling, orange potion. She placed the concoction in front of Robin and took a few steps back.

"S-sorry it took so long," Raven said with a wary smile on her face, "you just have to drink it and… and then go to sleep and the other potion will be out of your system. It might taste a little fun…"

Robin quickly downed the potion in one gulp and placed the glass back on the table. He got up and swiftly made his way towards the door. He paused in the doorway but didn't turn round.

"I don't think the others need to know about this," Robin said in a monotone voice, "we'll just keep this little incident between the three of s okay." It wasn't really a question but a statement.

"Robin we want to…"

The automatic doors closed as Robin walked off down the hall, leaving the two girls in silence.

"I thought…" Terra said, needing to break the silence, "I thought he would shout at us or something. I thought he'd be angrier than that."

"He wasn't just angry Terra," Raven said, pulling her hood up to cover her face, "if he was it would be better as he could get over that. He was disappointed."

Raven walked up the steps towards her room. "And disappointment is a thousand times worse," she said before disappearing down the hall.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** It's been my experience that when someone you love and respect is angry at you, them shouting at you makes you feel bad. But when they are disappointed with you, it's a hell of a lot worse. You even find yourself wishing they would shout and scream at you. Silence can be deadly when used by those you care about.

This chapter was my attempt at a bit of angst. I've never read that many angst fics (as I prefer stories that make me feel good and I was never that moody as a teenager) so I don't know how well I did with this. Don't worry things get better in the next chapter.

* * *

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH:** There will be more about vampires in the next chapter. There won't be any feeding but it will be… emotional.

**Julius Faust:** Though my Robin is Tim Drake, his history will be different from the one in the comics so don't worry about who he is. A chapter about who his parents are will be coming up soon. Even though you're not sure about the pairing, I'm glad your willing to see how it goes, even if it's just for the Robin/Raven parts. Thanks for the review.

**Louvii:** I'm sorry you found the switch between POV's so rocky. I'll try to improve that when it happens in future chapters.

**Fortex:** I've been working hard to make sure that the Robin/Terra interaction isn't entirely through Raven. Chapter six is almost entirely Robin/Terra and will help to solidify their relationship.

**Yersi Fanel:** I had planed the Robin/Jinx moment from the beginning, not so that they would have a romantic relationship but a friendly one at least. Slade's children won't show up again for a while, but when they do they'll mean business.

**Midori Aoi:** Glad you were satisfied by my little lemon (that sounds so gross when I say it out loud) I'll try to do more soon. If you think Robin's a pimp now wait until you find out who else he's been with.

**Cherry Jade:** Yes, Robin is very much the ladies man, as you'll find out soon enough. I don't read Robin/Starfire fics at all, it's almost as annoying a pairing as Raven/Beast Boy. Both girls already want Robin, and he knows it too. It's just a matter of someone making the first move, that won't happen for a while though.

Thank you for reading Five Minutes Peace too, I'm glad you liked it. The Star and BB became funny naturally, almost taking on a life of their own. Robin's pervy thoughts about Raven were basically my own, tweaked slightly to fit the Boy Wonder better.

**HorusRei:** The introduction of the Twins was supposed to keep people guessing until the end, in fact unless you knew about the comic Titans history I wouldn't have expected you to know who they were. There conflict will be good once I iron out all the details, though it won't be for a couple of chapters. Don't get me started on the future threesome scene, I'm having nightmares about writing that. It was hard enough to tone down the last lemon scene of FFN, I don't know how I'll do it when all three of them are at it.

**Domionlord:** I like to think I'm smart enough to put intrigue in my stories when the truth is I'm probably not. As for Robin, he'll figure out a lot more in the next chapter, whether he wants to or not.

**leader:** I'm glad you like my Terra. I haven't seen the second series of Teen Titans yet so who knows, maybe I'll hate Terra too. And don't worry, you're not the only one who has bad typing days. Why do you think it took so long to get this chapter out.

**Crzy Grl:** Thank you for the review. I tried to make Jinx seem more grown up but wasn't sure I pulled it off with her playful banter with Robin. I put a lot of myself into writing for Robin. When I watch my favourite programmes or read my favourite books I always see myself as my favourite male character. To many writers make Robin to much like a kid, unsure of himself and missing things that a obvious to others. My Robin has been training to be the way he is his whole life, he has to be sure of himself because he's the leader and he notices things everyone else misses. He is the only character that I will be doing POV's for, so expect more in future chapters.

Nice to know you enjoyed my one-shot. I wasn't sure if others would find it that funny, but it's be a great success. I even had a Robin/Starfire fan that liked it. I'm not sure how well I know the Robin from the show as I've only seen the first series, but I do know MY Robin well enough. That is probably what you're picking up on. Thanks for the review.

**Arein:** Is what happened in this chapter the bad thing you predicted? Thank you so much for coming up with some names for Baby Wildebeest. I was going to use Alexander, but seeing as that's Lex Luthor's first name it seemed inappropriate. I used Matthew for exactly the reason you gave me. It seemed… fitting.

**Hound Archon:** Hope you liked the way the potion was resolved in this chapter. There will be more Lemons soon.

**Remusgrl:** What exactly do you mean 'what Robin did to Jinx'. The sex part or something else?

**RavenOfAzerath:** I'm still in awe at how many people think this is awesome. Thanks for the review.

**ActChick13:** At the moment I have it planed a threesome fic. But who knows what the future holds. Robin may decide that he just wants Raven. But even if he did, Raven would still want to be with Terra. The reason why will come up in the next chapter.


	5. Empathizing with a Vampire

**Author's Notes:** Sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out. After finishing my last Harry Potter chapter I was struck by writers block. So instead of just sitting in front of my computer with nothing to write I re-read the Artemis Fowl books and the Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer. All five books are really easy to read and got my brain working again. If you haven't read these books then I highly recommend them.

There are different POVs again in this story. Normal, Normal, Robin, Normal, Normal, Robin, Normal, Robin, Normal, Robin, Normal, Normal. I hope this isn't too confusing.

It almost seems almost mandatory to do a chapter like this whenever Robin and Raven are involved. This chapter has been in my head for a while. It was originally a one-shot that spawned into this whole series. I wanted to get it out sooner but I knew I needed to work on some character development first. Hope you like this chapter.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Chapter Five:** Empathizing with a Vampire

* * *

Over the next couple of days Raven and Terra did their best to avoided Robin, and the other Titans, whenever possible. Apart from the occasional mission and whenever they needed food, both girls stayed in their rooms. Though this behaviour wasn't strange for Raven, the other Titans did notice that Terra was avoiding them. When they asked her about this, she simply said she was "riding the crimson wave." All questions stopped instantly. Though Aqua Lad had to explain to Starfire why he couldn't help Terra with her wave problem.

It was Saturday morning and Raven was still in her room. Her meditation hadn't been going well the past couple of days and she had finally decided to go into her mind to try and settle things down. She descended into her mindscape, landing in the centre of a large, circle clearing in front of the forbidden door. Around the edge of the circle were stone chairs of varying styles, each with a version of Raven wearing a different coloured cloak sat upon them. Each of them seemed restless as they stared at Raven.

"I thought you were all beginning to fall in line," Raven said as she turned to look at each emotion, "we haven't had a violent reaction to our powers in two months, not since Terra. What's changed?"

"You have," Raven turned to Knowledge, the yellow cloaked Raven and the only one that wore glasses, "you are in turmoil Raven and that has thrown your emotions out of balance. This latest incident with Robin has…"

"I don't want to talk about him." Raven said through gritted teeth. The Raven in the red cloak with her hood covering her face let out a low growl and gripped the edge of her seat.

"You need to calm down Raven," Knowledge said in a calming voice, "we all want to keep the balance. None of us want father to take hold again."

Raven closed her eyes and repeated her mantra. The red cloaked Raven released her grip and seemed to calm down. "You're right of cause. What do you suggest I do?"

"Confront Robin;" demanded Bravery the dark green cloaked Raven, "you need to let him know what we are feeling."

"Tell him how sorry we are," said Timid the grey cloaked Raven, never looking up from her feet, "he still won't like us but you should still tell him we're sorry."

Raven looked around at all the emotions before her eyes settled on the one in the red cloak, "do you all feel the same why?"

The red cloaked emotion looked up, her four red eyes looking directly into Raven's, **_"the balance must be maintained. Without it there will be destruction for us all. Speak with the mortal."_**

Raven stared at the emotion before hanging her head, "you all speak as if he would even listen to me. As if he'd even want anything to do with me." Raven took to the air and flew towards the forbidden door, "I will speak with you all again soon."

The emotions watched as Raven took of back to the world beyond, waiting until she had gone before they spoke again.

Anger turned to Timid, **_"this is your fault Shy One,"_** she growled, **_"If you had a backbone we would not have this problem."_**

"I know and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Timid said, tears streaming down her face.

Bravery jumped to her feet, "you had better leave her alone Enraged One or you'll have me to deal with."

"**_You think you can take me Courageous One?"_** Anger asked, standing as her sharp nails extended, **_"I'd love to see you try."_**

"Enough," Knowledge shouted in a commanding tone, silencing the other emotions, "we cannot keep the balance if we fight amongst ourselves. We must combine our efforts to make the balance stronger."

"How do you suggest we do that Wise One?" Bravery asked, "We all know Raven cannot drink enough blood to make us stronger. And she is not willing to do what else is needed any more."

"Do not worry sisters," Knowledge smirked, pushing her glasses up her nose, "I have a plan."

* * *

The portal from the Azarath meditation mirror opened wide enough for Raven to fly out and land next to her bed. She needed something to do to keep her mind occupied and off her emotions. She and Terra had planned on going to the mall, but after what happened with Robin, she wasn't in the mood any more. For once in her life she did not feel like reading and to watch a movie she would have to go into the rec-room, and there was the chance she would bump into the Boy Wonder if she did that. That left surfing the web. Unfortunately her computer had broken down yesterday and she had no idea how to fix it. She would have to brave the rec-room to ask Cyborg to look at it.

A usual Saturday morning for Cyborg and Beast Boy involved getting up early, easting a cereal that was so pumped full of chocolate it was just short of being poisonous to humans, watching all the good Saturday cartoons, and then playing a couple of rounds of their latest videogame, and all before noon. A full morning joyfully wasted.

Raven entered the rec-room to Cyborg's cries of Boo-Yah, him declaring how he now owned Beast Boy and stating how vastly superior he was compared to the green changeling. As Cyborg began his 'Happy Dance', Raven cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Oh, hey Rae," Cyborg smiled, stopping his dance mid-move, "I thought you were going to the mall with Terra today."

"I'm… just not in the mood for that at the moment," Raven said. She knew Cyborg wouldn't question this; it wouldn't be the first time she hadn't done something social because she wasn't in the mood. "I was wondering if you could come and fix my computer for me."

"I'm sorry Rae," Cyborg frowned, "I have to get going in a few minutes to coach my Little League team, it's the championship game today and I can't be late. And after we win I said I'd take them all out for pizza and ice-cream too."

"What if they lose?" Beast Boy asked from the couch, still playing the videogame.

"Well… then the pizza and ice-cream should make them feel better," Cyborg said as he glared at the shape shifter.

"What about Starfire?" Raven asked, "don't the children on her planet learn how to make computers like mine in kindergarten?"

"Yeah, but she's not here. Her and Aqua Lad took lil' Matthew Wildebeest to the zoo. Beast Boy was gonna go with them but the zookeepers still won't let him in after that incident with the giraffe."

"Hey that was self-defence," Beast Boy glared.

"What about you?" Raven asked, looking at Beast Boy, "are you any good with computers?"

Cyborg laughed out loud for a full minute, ignoring Beast Boy's glare, "I'd be surprised if he could spell computer. Seriously though, you should ask Robin to help."

Raven's shock was gone before Cyborg even noticed, "R-Robin?"

"Yeah, he helped me set up the towers computer system and most of the programs that stop us from being hacked were written by him. You should ask him to help you."

"Help you do what?"

Raven jumped in spite of herself. If she was honest with herself, the way Robin could sneak about without her noticing annoyed her. She would have normally made a snide remark about it. But not today. Today she froze, stood staring at the Boy Wonder.

"Raven's computer bust, she needs you to fix it," Cyborg said as he walked towards the garage, "I'd do it myself but I'm gonna be late for Little League if I don't get going now. See you all later."

Robin watched Cyborg leave the room then turned back to Raven, "what exactly is wrong with your computer?"

"I don't know exactly," Raven said a little too quickly, she was shocked by Robin's casual tone.

"I'll just go get my tools then meet you at your room in five minutes," Robin said as he walked of towards his room.

Raven stood staring at the door Robin had left through for almost a minute before running to her room. The room was in disarray. Having spent more time in her over the past few days, even going so far as to eat her meals here, Raven had not bothered to tidy up after herself. Books were piled high on her desk and bedside table, accompanied by dirty plates and empty mugs, dirty clothes lay haphazardly around the room.

Raven used her powers to teleport the plates and mugs to the kitchen. She picked up the clothes to take to the laundry room, she had to take them herself or there was the chance that someone might see her… undergarments. With her arms full of dirty washing, Raven opened the bedroom door and almost ran into Robin.

"Oh… Robin, I was just going to… come in. I'll be right back." Raven said before floating off down the corridor.

Robin watched Raven disappear around the corner before he entered her room. He made his way over to the desk and put down his tools. As he moved the books on it to the floor so that he would have easier access to the computer he also looked at their titles. He paused when he saw what the final book was. A diary. Raven's diary. Without a second thought he simply placed the book on top of the others and began to take Raven's computer apart.

When she re-entered the room, Raven moved to stand next to Robin. "I'm not sure what's wrong with it, it just all of a sudden-" she stopped mid-sentence when she looked at the pile of books and saw her diary. Raven turned sickly pale as she snatched the book up into her hands. "Did you read my diary?" she asked with a hint of panic in her voice.

"What?" Robin asked as he turned to look at her, "I-"

"I can't believe…" Raven interrupted, blushing furiously, "just so you know, the Robin I mentioned isn't you. It's someone completely different."

"Raven I-"

"And the dream I had about that Robin last week could be interpreted in a hundred different ways and…"

"RAVEN," Robin interrupted, "I didn't read you diary."

"Oh," Raven blushed. An awkward silenced grew between them, "Robin I'm really so about the potion."

"It's okay Raven."

"No it isn't" Raven insisted, "I only wanted to know what you really thought about me and Terra. I never meant to cause you any problems."

"It's okay, I understand," Robin said with a comforting smile, "you're not the first Titan to try and find out more about me."

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire have all tried to find out more about me," Robin smiled, "Beast Boy and Starfire have both snuck into my bedroom, evidence and training rooms to try and find something that would tell them about me. And Cyborg has tried to hack into my personal files on eighteen separate occasions. All three of them have tried to follow me when I've gone out on patrols. I understand why you all do it, I'm a mystery, and if I was in your shoes I'd probably want to solve me too."

"So… you're not angry?" Raven asked.

"I was at first," Robin admitted, "but I know you didn't mean any harm. Promise me you won't do it again and we can forgive and forget all about it."

"I promise," Raven smiled.

"Good. And you can tell Terra that if she still wants to train with me I'll be in the gym tonight same time as usual, and maybe afterwards me and you could have a game of chess?"

"You won't beat me this time Boy Wonder," Raven smirked, relaxing again for the first time in three days.

"You keep telling yourself that," Robin smiled, "so are you sticking around until I finish with this?"

"actually, I think I'll go to the mall with Terra if she's still up for it," Raven said, "can you make sure to shut the door when you're finished." When Robin nodded Raven said goodbye and moved towards the door. She paused momentarily, moved over to her draws and locked her diary in with her unmentionables, before finally leaving.

* * *

I watched Raven leave the room before turning back to work on her computer. I was glad that I make her feel at ease again, or as close to eased as she ever got. I was sincere when I said I was willing to put the whole potion ordeal behind us.

I wondered momentarily if either girl was really interested in me in the end, and if so, would they still try to pursue me. I shook the thought from my head. I just hoped everything could get back to normal.

I sensed it happening a moment before it happened. Not that it helped me. Black energy took hold of me, placing me in a vicelike grip and lifting me into the air. I saw that the energy was flowing from a demonic looking hand mirror on Raven's bed. Before I had the chance to properly process this fact and formulate an escape plan a portal opened from the mirror and I was pulled in.

I flew along a crimson vortex, tumbling through the air before it spat me out above a hovering stone platform. Using acrobatic skills honed from years of training I twisted in the air, landing perfectly on my feet. I had my Bo staff extended in under a second, ready for whatever might be waiting for me.

The platform I was standing on was quite large, with stone pillars and dead trees dotted about; it was floating above an abyss. Wherever I was it was night time already, thought it could just be in perpetual darkness. The sky was filled with stars, with crimson clouds and planets' floating closer then was possible. Other platforms floated about nearby, though none of the were close enough for me to jump to.

Using the skill Batman had instilled in me I attempted to ascertain where I was. I obviously wasn't on earth any longer, and I certainly wasn't in some form of holographic simulation, at least not one form by an earthling. Any earthling that would set up a hologram would have gone for more realism, the planets wouldn't be visible unless they were trying to make it look like an alien world, and even then everyone I had been in before slipped up by using constellations visible from earth. I did a couple of quick mental tests that proved I wasn't unconscious or hallucinating. The only viable option left was that I was now in an alternate dimension of some kind. Now all I had to do was figure out why I was here.

I tried my Titans communicator and got nothing be static. I knew it was a bad idea to try calling out. Even if by some fluke the other Titans could hear me, I was more likely to attract this places native beings, especially the ones that brought me here, and it was more than likely their intentions were hostile. I moved around the platform in the hopes of finding something, anything, that might indicate what was happening.

"Hello Robin."

I turned to my left and looked upon the girl before me. She was the spitting image of Raven, though I instantly knew she wasn't my team mate, regardless of the fact she was wearing a yellow cloak and glasses.

"Who are you," I asked.

"I'm Raven," she said with a similar monotone face as Raven.

"No you're not," I tightened the grip on my staff.

The yellow cloaked girl raised an eyebrow, "what makes you say that?"

"You mean besides the glasses and the cloak? Your posture is different as is the pitch and tone of your voice, and your scent is a mixture of new and old books, Raven's is of Lavender and Oil of Olay."

"Very impressive," she smiled, "you are right Robin, I am not Raven, but I am a part of her. I am an anthropomorphic personification of Raven's Knowledge. I am linked to Raven and know everything that she knows. But I am also independent, Raven can only learn of my thoughts and deeds if she makes physical contact with me. This is how I was able to bring you here."

"The brain rebelling against the body?" I asked, putting my staff away but keeping my face devoid of emotion.

"My intentions are to aid Raven." Knowledge said, frowning at my statement.

"Why have to brought me here?" I asked, deciding it was time to get to the point.

"Raven needs emotional balance," Knowledge said, "the recent turmoil created from the confrontation with you has ruptured this balance."

"I talked about this with Raven. Surely that restored this balance."

"It helped," Knowledge said, stepping closer to me, "but the other emotions and I have we cannot let this happen again. We need to strengthen the balance."

"How am I supposed to help?" I asked, not letting my concern show on my face.

Knowledge circled me as she talked, "as you know, Raven is a vampire. Vampires gain strength, both physically and mentally, from the drinking of blood. But as you know, if she drinks too much blood at once, she will continue drinking ravenously until that person is dead."

Knowledge stepped closer to me at this point, looking straight into my eyes. "There is another way to help her though. I don't know if you know but Vampire relationships always involve three people of varying sexes. Two females and a male, two males and a female, three females, three males. These relationships last for the vampires entire lives, no matter how long they might be. Raven has already chosen one partner. Surely you noticed all the time she spends with Terra?"

To my eternal shame I hadn't, but as she told me, all the obvious little signs pointed out she was right. I was so busy concentrating on the potion and the attention both girls were giving me I hadn't noticed. Of cause I didn't let any of this show on my face.

Knowledge continued before I could respond, "these relationships are important for vampires, especially for Raven. Vampires are able to vent excess emotional energy into these partners, this doesn't cause them any harm and it makes the vampire more balanced. Raven has been using Terra for this, but she isn't enough, Raven needs another."

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out what she was implying, even someone as naive as Starfire could have spotted what she meant. "You think I'm the one she needs?"

"She loves you," she said matter-of-factly.

"She doesn't even know me," I argued, "How can she think she loves me?"

"It is easier for vampires to find someone they love. Once they taste someone's blood they know how they truly feel about them."

I turned away from Knowledge and looked out across the expanse, "you both have the wrong guy. The few relationships that I've had have ended in disaster. I'm too emotionally distant." I turned back to look at Knowledge, "Raven blocks of her emotions because she has too. I do it by choice."

"Raven knows this," Knowledge said, "but she still knows you are the guy for her."

I didn't respond, I just looked at this strange girl that looked so much like Raven. "How do I get out of here?" I finally asked.

Knowledge's shoulders sagged slightly. As she pointed out across the expanse, the other stone platforms moved through the air, linking together to form a path.

"Just follow this path until you reach the forbidden door. Walk through it and you will re-emerge in Raven's room."

I was a little surprised that she didn't keep trying to talk to me about Raven's feelings for me. I said my goodbyes and made my way towards the forbidden door.

* * *

Knowledge watched as Robin walked along the path. Everything was going almost exactly as she planned. She now doubted that Robin would change his mind by the time he reached the door, but that would have just been a bonus to what was already going to happen.

She turned away from the path towards one of the larger dead trees as two more Ravens materialized in its shadow.

A smirk spread across Knowledge's face, "your turn sisters."

* * *

As was normal for a Saturday, Jump City Zoo as packed full of people from all over the country. It wasn't just because of the wild animals, the daily shows, or the gift shops. It was also because there might be the chance the patrons would get to see the Teen Titans. Today they got there chance.

Aqua Lad of cause got a lot of attention from all the teenage girls. Many of the screaming hysterically at the sight of him, fainting when he smiled at them, and some of the braver ones asking him to sign certain parts of there bodies. Starfire was getting just as much attention from the boys. Most just asked for an autograph and took the opportunity to stare at her, though some of the cockier ones did ask for her phone number. She didn't give it though; all of the Titans had warned her about doing that.

Matthew was really enjoying himself. Not only did he get to see all his favourite animals, some of them in various shows to entertain the public, but Starfire had bought him a gift from every girt shop they saw and Aqua Lad paid for various sweet throughout the day, enough to keep Matthew buzzing for hours.

The best part of the day in the young Titan's eyes by far was the aquarium. Using his telepathic abilities Aqua Lad convinced everything from starfish to dolphins to perform tricks for everyone enjoyment.

As he made the killer whales perform flips and synchronised swimming, Aqua Lad smiled fondly at Starfire. She blushed lightly and smiled back.

She enjoyed the day out even more.

* * *

I had been walking for over an hour. At least I thought I had. I had no way of being sure how time moved here. Though my mind was buzzing with what Knowledge had told me I couldn't afford to let my guard down. The surrounding area might not have been much to look at, but I couldn't know what might be roaming through Raven's subconscious.

If hers was anything like mine then I knew I should be worried.

As I stepped through another archway I stopped in surprise, the scenery had changed dramatically. The cosmic wasteland had been replaced with pink, open fields; the once dead trees were now full of life and leaf. The black, starry night was now a clear, canary yellow sky, complete with a number of rainbows though there wasn't a cloud to be seen. Even more bizarrely there were a couple of strawberries floating about.

"This doesn't seem right;" I thought aloud, "this place looks more like it belongs in Starfire's head."

"Heh, heh, that's funny."

I thought I was prepared for anything, but I wasn't prepared for the girl stood before me. She was just as different as Knowledge. Her cloak was bright pink and looked out of place on Raven. She practically bounced up and down with pent up energy. The most amazing thing about her was her smile, Raven's smile was small and unsure, but this girl's face lit up her whole face. The only way I could describe her as was the anti-Raven.

Moving with inhuman speed I didn't think she possessed; she tackled me to the ground. My first instinct was to fight back, flip her over me then spring up into a fighting stance, but my thoughts disappeared when as she kissed me. It was short and sweet and left a tingling in my lips. When she pulled back her smile seemed even brighter.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," she said.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Raven's Happiness," she said. She didn't seem to be making any effort to get off me.

"I bet you don't get out much."

"More since Terra joined the Titans," Happiness smiled, "even more since you got back from Gotham."

I realized what was going on. Knowledge hadn't brought me into Raven's mind just so she could talk to me. But so that her and the other emotions could try and convince me that dating Raven was a good idea. And it was getting harder for to think that it wasn't. It's not that I don't like Raven or Terra enough, and though I was still a little unsure about the whole Vampire three-way relationship, I could understand how Raven would need it, and I'd be lying if I said a small part of me wasn't interested. It was just that relationships didn't work for me. I've had more than a few one nightstands, and have remained friends with most of them. But whenever I tried to have a real relationship it ended badly. I know that it's entirely my fault though. I spend most of my time fighting crime, researching criminals, or training, that doesn't leave a lot of time for dates or cuddling. And though I seem to be thinking of the girls more and more with each passing day, I'm still not willing to jeopardize our friendship.

As I looked around from my position on the floor I realized I had lost sight of the exit. "Can you show me the way to the forbidden door?"

"Sure, follow me," Happiness jumped up and began skipping down a dirt path that wasn't there before. I quickly got up and walked beside her.

"So why don't you want to date Raven?" Happiness asked suddenly.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, not that she would have seen it through my mask, "I'm just not good at relationships. Especially the going on dates and sharing of feelings part."

"Well she has Terra for that," Happiness smiled brightly, "you could just be there for the sex."

I did roll my eyes at that. She was obviously trying to get at me through my hormones. There was about as much chance of that working as there was me marrying Killer Moth's daughter. I wasn't like the other boys in the Tower, my bedroom walls weren't cover in pictures of half naked girls, and I didn't have any special magazines under my bed. That's not to say that I don't have hormones, or have thoughts about sex. I'm just not controlled by them.

Thought it was hard to tell, Happiness seemed a bit upset that I didn't respond to what she said, or at least find it funny. "You know you should express your emotions occasionally. Raven has opened up a bit more lately. You should too."

I didn't respond to that, but only because I didn't know what to say. I wasn't intentionally unemotionally; it's just the way I am. Some people thought I got it from Batman or even my foster father, who was ex-special forces, but I didn't. Thought both are as emotionally unresponsive as me, they never tried to get me to hide my emotions; in fact they both taught me to trust my feelings when confronted with a problem. Though most people don't know it, both Batman and I share a dark sense of humour and even though we don't laugh, we do share a few in-jokes with each other whenever we talk on the communicator.

I decided it was best to change the subject, "how many of you exist here?"

Happiness's smile perked up, "there is a Raven for every single emotion and feeling that can be experienced."

"Kind of like the Smurfs." I hated myself the moment I said that but it made Happiness laugh out loud, she seemed even perkier after that.

"Smurfs," Happiness laughed out loud, "that's funny. I'll have to remember that when I meet up with the others."

Another archway finally appeared before us. I was about to walk through when Happy grabbed my arm.

"Before you go," just as quickly as before, Happy grabbed the sides of my head and kissed me again, this one was longer than the other. She pulled back and smiled dreamily.

"That will keep Raven and me smiling for a long time."

* * *

"Why are smiling?"

Raven looked up from the clothes rack at Terra, she hadn't even realized she was smiling, "I don't know, I just am."

When the girls had arrived at the mall they had made a deal. Half the day would be spent looking at clothes and the other looking for books, stopping midday for lunch. To see which one they did first they flipped a coin. Raven lost so now they were looking for something that would show off her beauty, much to her dismay. Thankfully they hadn't been bothered by anyone asking for autographs, most of the teenagers that usually hung out at the mall were at the zoo for some reason.

"So tell me what Robin said to you again," Terra said, pulling a couple of shirts of the rack to try on.

Raven rolled her eyes as she followed Terra towards the dressing rooms, "I've already told you five times. He understands, he's not angry, he forgives us and he's still willing to train you and play chess with me."

After she tried on some of the shirts Terra came back out of the changing room and started to look at more clothes, "we need to find some clothes that will really get Robin's attention."

Raven frowned slightly, "I don't think that's a good idea Terra. We can't mess with him again."

"Who said anything about messing with him?" Terra asked, picking up her selection of clothing and moving towards the checkouts, "I was just thinking that one night we could ask him to come out with us. Maybe to that Vampire club you told me about."

"Nox's?" Raven asked, paying for the small collection of clothes that Terra insisted she buy, "maybe we should. He did say he didn't know that much about vampires, I'm sure he'd be interested if only for the opportunity to learn more."

"then it's settled," Terra said as both girls left the store with their purchases, "we'll invite him to join us and we'll both wear something so stunning he won't be able to resist us. Come on; let's go get some "special" underwear."

Before Raven could protest Terra grabbed her hand and dragged her towards Ann Summer's. It would be a long time before she got to look at any books.

* * *

I carefully stepped through the archway Happy had led me to and fund myself back on the stone pathway Knowledge had set me out on. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Happiness was following me, apparently she had stayed behind. I turned back to see where I was going and almost collided with someone. It was another Raven; she wore a grey cloak and looked very depressed.

"I'm sorry," she said, stepping to the side, "I shouldn't be in your way."

"Let me guess. You must me Timid."

As soon as I said it her eyes welled up with tears and her bottom lip began to tremble. She began to apologize for different things Raven had done, everything from the recent incident with the potion to the things she had broken since she joined the team, she even went so far as to apologize for when Raven had accidentally knocked me into a wall the first time we met. She just saying how sorry she was for chipping some of the coffee mugs when I thought it was best to stop her.

"I forgive you," I said a vain attempt to calm her down, "I've already forgiven Raven for everything you just said."

"I know you don't like her."

I was a little shocked by that statement, "I do like her."

"Then… then why don't you want to be with her?"

It was an almost obvious attempt at making me feel guilty. But it was working. I felt like I had just told a five year old their puppy had to be put to sleep.

"It's got nothing to do with how I feel about her or Terra," I said in the hope that she would understand, "it's me that's the problem. I have a lot of issues that I need to sort out before I could think about being with anyone. I'm just not very good boyfriend material right now."

Timid faded from my sight without saying a word. I let out a heavy sigh before continuing down the path.

I was nearing the forbidden door when I began to wonder what else this place would throw at me. I had always be great a sensing danger, I usually presented itself as a buzzing in the back of my head. Beast Boy often joked that it was my "Spider-Sense tingling". Whatever it was it was buzzing like crazy now. I threw myself to the side in time to dodge a flying kick aimed for my head. I rolled into a defensive stance and faced my attacker. It was yet another Raven, this one was wearing a dark green cloak and a cocky grin I was sure the real Raven had never used. She stood a couple of feet away in a similar stance to mine.

"I've wanted to test myself against you for a long time Boy Wonder," she didn't give me a chance to say anything before she lunged at me.

She didn't use any of Raven's powers, opting for simple hand-to-hand combat instead. I was unimpressed. The real Raven hardly ever used any form of physically combat, preferring to use her powers. The fight this Raven was putting up was quite frankly laughable, I had no problem blocking and deflecting all of her attacks. I would have to talk to Raven about improving her skills.

After a minute or two her attempts to hit me I grew impatient. I batted her next attack aside and slammed my palm into her chest, easily knocking her onto her back.

I glared down at her, keeping myself poised for another attack, "are you finished playing around?"

She smiled up at me, rubbing the spot where I hit her, "you're good. You're very good."

"Do you want to explain why you just did that?" I asked, backing up and giving her room to get up.

She quickly flipped up to her feet and began rubbing her back as well. "Two reasons really. One was to see how well I could fight against you. And the other…" she began to fade from sight as she talked, "…was to be a distraction."

Her final words were accompanied by a familiar buzzing in the back of my skull. I wasn't as quick this time. I felt five claws slashing diagonally down my back, deep enough to draw blood, but not to cause any permanent damage. The fact that is sliced through my titanium-polymer cape and my body armour was enough to worry about.

I rolled away again as getting out of my attackers reach was more important than the pain it cause. I faced this new emotion and extended my staff for added protection. This Raven looked positively deadly. Her cloak was blood red and her fingernails were long and sharp, glowing with crimson energy. But what drew my attention was her four glowing eyes, I had seen those eyes before, whenever Raven became to angry.

"You must be Grumpy Smurf," I said, keeping my face straight.

Her smile showed off her fangs, **_"Raven doesn't have a lot of anger when it comes to human."_** She pushed the edge of her cloak over her shoulders and held out hands, her nails lengthening slightly.

"**_But I'm sure I can manage,"_** she said as she lunged for my throat.

* * *

Beast Boy's day had been very productive in his eyes. Not only had he managed to decimate Cyborg's high score, he had also discovered a number of special moves that he was just itching to use against the metal teen. He hadn't even realized how long he had been playing the game until Cyborg came back with a couple of boxes of pizza.

"We won dude," Cyborg beamed as he put the pizzas on the coffee table, "I know I'm not supposed to say this because Little League is all about having fun, but we spanked those little brats good. I've never been so happy to make a bunch of kids cry. So where is everybody?"

"Aqua Lad, Starfire and Matthew are still at the zoo," Beast Boy said without looking away from the TV, "Raven and Terra haven't come back from the mall yet and I haven't seen Robin since he went to fix Raven's computer."

"He's been in there all day?" Cyborg asked as he checked the clock on his arm, "it shouldn't have taken him this long to fix it. Raven's got a lot of freaky stuff in her room; do you think something might have happened to him?"

Beast Boy simply shrugged.

"Maybe we should go check on him, make sure he's… hey you beat my high score," Cyborg exclaimed as he stared at the TV.

Beast Boy's smirked from ear to ear, "I didn't just beat it. I killed it and buried it under a statue dedicated to my excellence."

Cyborg growled as he jumped onto the couch, "Robin is a big boy, he can look after himself. I'm needed here more. Those little kids aren't the only ones that are going to get humiliated today."

Beast Boy smiled as he remembered the secret moves he had spent all day mastering, "I hope you don't rust Cy, because you're going to be crying soon."

* * *

"**_Release me mortal scum,"_** Angry Raven screamed face down on the ground where I had her pinned.

It took a lot of effort to subdue her. She wasn't any better at fighting than the previous Raven, but the fury of her attacks and the fact that her nails could cut through my body armour meant I had to be extra careful. I used a couple of cable ties from my utility belt to bind her hands and feet before I got up.

"**_You'll regret this,"_** she growled at me.

"I doubt it," I walked off towards the forbidden door.

As I approached the door I caught sight of Knowledge standing next to it, giving me an appraising look. After everything I had just been through my first thought was to just ignore her and carry on through the door. But then I realized there was a chance she might try and bring me back here.

"Have you changed you mind yet?" she asked.

"If anything, being here has showed me how screwed up I really am."

Her face became deadly serious, "Raven needs a balance Robin. If you do not like her then okay. But if you do…"

"I need time to think about this whole situation," I interrupted.

"Don't take too long," she said simply, "and I think its best that you don't mention what happened today with Raven."

"You want me to lie to her?" I asked, more than a little surprised.

"Not lie, just simply not tell her."

I didn't respond to her. I walked up to the forbidden door and steeped through, back into the world outside.

* * *

Knowledge smiled as she watched Robin exit Raven's mind. She was soon joined by the other emotions the Boy Wonder had met on his journey. She turned and faced them, looking at Happiness specifically.

"You kissing him was not part of the plan Joyous One," though she sounded disapproving, Knowledge still smiled.

Happiness just shrugged, "why should everyone else get all the fun?"

"I am still not sure what the point of this plan was Wise One," Bravery said, scratching her head.

"it is very simple really Courageous One," Knowledge said, looking at Anger who was rubbing her previously bound wrists, "if Robin was not willing to start a relationship with Raven then it was important that we set up an empathic link between him and the Enraged One."

"The cut to his back," Bravery smiled.

"Exactly. We all know that if Raven becomes too angry then it is easy for father to take control of her. Now whenever Raven feels angry, Robin will feel it too. The angrier she gets more he'll feel it. I know Robin will figure out what it means, eventually. And he will be able to quell Raven's anger where he is in a relationship with her or not."

"When Raven finds out about this she won't be very happy you know," Angry smirked.

Knowledge began to fade from sight, "but there will be nothing she can do about it."

* * *

Raven and Terra returned from the Mall in relatively high spirits, though Raven had more bags of clothes than she would have liked. As they entered the rec-room they saw that Cyborg and Beast Boy where still battling it out on the Gamestation, taking it in turns to insult each other. As they looked in the kitchen area they found Robin making himself something to eat.

"Hey Raven, Terra," Robin said as he prepared his meal.

"Hey Robin," Terra said with a smile, before turning to Raven, "I'm going to take my bags to my room, do you want me to take yours?"

Raven nodded as she handed Terra her purchases. Terra was walking towards the door when Robin called out to her.

"Don't forget we have training after dinner Terra."

Terra smiled as she made her way out of the room, leaving Robin and Raven alone.

"So Smurfette how was the trip to the mall?"

Raven almost answered when she realized what Robin said, "What did you just call me?"

"Sorry," Robin said, holding up his hands, "it's just a stupid private joke."

Raven frowned slightly, "I think I get it, though I'm not sure why." She shook the thought from her head, "anyway it was good, though Terra made me buy… clothes."

Robin smiled, "what kind of clothes?"

"Have you fixed my computer yet?" Raven asked with a blush.

"Yeah, it was a simple problem. It should be working perfectly now."

"Thank you," Raven said with a soft smile.

Robin opened the fridge and pulled out a small plastic container, opening it and holding it towards Raven, "do you want a strawberry? They're fresh."

Raven's smile brightened as she took a couple of them, "thank you, strawberries are my favourite. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess."

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** It's true, if you do eat a certain amount of chocolate in one sitting it is poisonous, and death by chocolate should only be on a menu, not a tombstone.

It might have seemed like Robin forgave Raven and Terra to quickly in this chapter. But as I've said I'm not very good at angst and I couldn't have kept it up for another chapter. Robin is going to have enough to think about over the next five chapters as it is. The next chapter is him and Terra on a mission together where they finally get to talk. After that he gets some new training and learns some startling things about himself. Then the other Titans find out about someone he slept with (no it's not who you think). Then whilst he is deciding what to do about Raven and Terra he runs into a villain some of you will probably know. And finally the Titans battle with the new Hive line-up. I hope you all stick around to see these chapters.

* * *

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH:** There wasn't as much about vampires as I originally intended. Just a little background to go with the threesome idea. I'll try to get a scene with Raven feeding earlier than planned. Look out for it in chapter seven.

**Hound Archon:** In most fics where they play chess, Raven beats Robin easily. My Robin has been learning about tactics, detective skills, and martial arts all his life, so he's not going to be that easy to beat. Sorry about the wait for this chapter.

**666RaVeN999:** You don't like the pairings, but are you still going to keep reading?

**Cherry Jade:** I know that it might have seemed Robin forgave them both quickly, but he's smart enough to realise they didn't mean any harm. Robin might also have been smart enough to notice that they both liked him and that they had slipped him a potion, but he didn't notice that they were both in a relationship. More on that in the next chapter.

**Arein:** I was so tempted to use Alexander as the name despite it being Luthor's, it seemed like the kind of name Robin would suggest for the kid. In the end though Matthew was the better name. Thanks again for the help.

**Midori Aoi:** Don't worry Robin hasn't been with Kitten. Jinx was a sexy, sensual character, and so an obvious choice for Robin. I haven't even seen the episode with Kitten in and she has already annoyed me. Star is leaning more towards Aqua Lad than Beast Boy in this fic. Star and Beast Boy only go home together because they go to school together, like brother and sister. I actually have chapter planed where Beast Boy gets a girlfriend. Thanks for the review. eats big cookie

**Lenarta:** I'm glad you like the pairing, not many people do (though some of them still read, much to my joy), the next chapter is mostly Terra/Robin so I hope you enjoy it. The sex scenes are there as part of the characters development and because I'm a perve. And yes Robin is quite fucked up, almost as much as me.

Thank you for reading Five Minutes Peace, I'm glad you liked it. a lot of people have commented on Raven being so forward. But you have to remember that it was a humour fic and wasn't meant to be in character.

**Shield:** Thanks for the review, I keep trying to update as fast as I can, but I don't really have a frame of reference for this fic as I've only seen the first series of Teen Titans and have to build the characters almost from scratch.

**JitsaruJakara:** Robin realizes that both girls like him, he was just angry about the potion. He will respond more to the girls advances in the next couple of chapters.

**leader:** There will be more chess playing in future chapters, much to Raven annoyance. The idea of a chapter just about Raven and Terra is intriguing, I'll have to come up with something based on that, thanks for the idea.

**Crzy Grl:** I hope Robin's POV in this chapter lived up to your expectations, it wasn't originally going to be from his POV, but it was harder to write it that way so had to do it. My Robin is different from CN's, though my Robin helps people and cares about his friends, he's not a nice person. He's willing to hit someone hard enough to break something because he doesn't have the advantage of superpowers. He will come out of his shell and relax more when he starts going out with the girls, but he's still going to have some bloody fights. Wait until the fight with HIVE. Since you like my Robin POVs, keep an eye out for chapter seven, it's almost all from his POV.


	6. Painting the Town

**Author's Notes:** I think I've got to the point where I have all the readers I'm going to for this fic, so I need a new summary to entice unsuspecting readers. Unfortunately I suck at summaries. If any of you can think of a suitable one I would greatly appreciate it.

Only one part of this is done from Robin's POV this time. I was going to do it as a flashback but then I thought, since it's him telling the story anyway, what the hell.

Just a little explanation for the last chapter since some of you seem to have a problem understanding it. Raven's Anger slashed Robin's back. This created an empathic link between her and Robin. If Raven gets angry, the scars hurt Robin. The angrier she gets, the more it hurts him. The Emotions know Robin will realize this and do something about it. Either by getting Raven to calm down or starting a relationship with her. Either way the Emotions win, because if Raven isn't allowed to get too angry, Trigon has no way of controlling her. Hope that helps.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Chapter Six:** Painting the Town

* * *

Robin hung up after his call from the Commissioner. The Jump City Police had a metahuman case that they couldn't handle. The officers they had put on it had all turned up dead. Rather than sacrifice anymore of Jump City's finest, it was decided that the Titans should be called in to take care the problem.

Robin sat at the desk in his evidence room and contemplated the task before him, going over all the information the Commissioner had just emailed him. There was only one Titan that could help him with this assignment. Robin turned off the computer and left the room, heading towards the rec-room.

Terra sat alone at the dinning table, idly flipping through one of Starfire's magazines. The picture of someone bored out of her mind. She smiled at Robin as he entered the room before returning to the magazine.

"Where is everyone?" Robin asked, sitting across from Terra.

"The boys went out to get some new video games I think," Terra said without looking up from the magazine, "Starfire is giving Matthew a bath and Raven is meditating."

"I thought she didn't do that anymore," Robin said, more of a statement than a question.

"She only needs to do it once a week now," Terra said, "and she does it with me when we're training but that's about it. She should be finished soon if you need to talk to her."

"Actually it's you that I need to talk to," Robin said, "I need your help."

Terra shut the magazine and focused her attention on Robin, suddenly very interested, "sure, what do you need?"

"I need you to come on a date with me."

It took a few seconds for Robin's words to sink in, "what?"

"Not a real date," Robin smiled, "just a pretend one."

Terra's confusion grew, "you're going to have to explain what you mean."

"The Jump City PD has a case they need our help on," Robin explained, "someone, most likely a metahuman, has been attacking couples in the park, killing the guys and raping the girls before killing them too. The investigation has found that all three of the couples first went to the cinema, then the pizza place, before going for a walk in the park. Because they didn't know how or why the couples were picked, the police put to teams undercover to find the culprit. Both teams turned up dead. Since it seems likely that the attacker is a metahuman the Commissioner has asked for us to find the one responsible. I don't want to involve the whole team, to many people in a covert team is often more of a hindrance. And let's face it; Beast Boy and Cyborg are a little too conspicuous."

"Why me though?" Terra asked, "The other girl's are a lot more experienced than me."

"Two reasons," Robin said, "all the girls that were attacked were blonde and I don't want to take the risk of disguising Raven or Starfire. Don't worry about your lack of experience Terra, I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't think you could handle it."

Terra smiled at what Robin said, "So when do we do this?"

"Tonight," Robin said with a serious face, "we have to get going in about two hours time to keep in time with the other victim's schedules. Make sure you dress like you're going on a real date, we have to make this as believable as possible."

"Well then I need to start getting ready now," Terra said, standing up and moving towards the door, "I want to look my best for my big date with the Boy Wonder."

Robin smiled as he watched Terra leave the room. He got up and made his way towards his own room, he had a few things to sort out before he had to get ready.

* * *

"I can't believe this, I liked him first."

Terra looked up from getting dressed when Raven spoke. The vampire sat on her bed in a bad mood, she had been that way since Terra told her and it didn't look like she was coming out of it anytime soon.

"It's not a date Raven, it's a mission to catch a killer," Terra said as she finished putting on her clothes, "if you're willing to put on a blonde wig then you can take my place."

Raven made an indignant sound and folded her arms in front of her chest. "I want all the details as soon as you get back."

"Don't worry you'll get the play-by-play. So, how do I look?" Terra wore a light yellow dress that showed off her figure with a brown leather jacket over it and yellow trainers, a butterfly head band held her hair back and a butterfly charm bracelet adorned her left wrist.

"You look nice," Raven said, her eyes narrowing, "maybe a little too nice."

Terra let out a frustrated sigh as she moved towards the door, "it's a mission Raven, that's it. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Raven called out after her, "don't do anything I'd want to do either."

Terra rolled her eyes as she made her way down the hall, raven could be such a drama queen sometimes. She soon entered the garage and found robin already waiting for her. He was wearing a grey long sleeve shirt, a black jacket, slacks and shoes. If it wasn't for the mask he would look like any other moody teenage boy. He smiled as he saw terra approach.

"You like nice," Robin said.

"Thanks, so do you," Terra blushed, "and no offence but how are you meant to fight a metahuman dressed like that when you don't have any superpowers?"

Robin lifted his shirt, showing Terra his utility belt and body armour, "I'm wearing my lucky underwear."

Terra chuckled before tapping the side of her eyes, "that's going to ruin the looking into each other's eyes portion of this pretend date."

Robin touched his mask before shaking his head, "I forgot I even had it on."

Terra couldn't help but stare into Robin's deep blue eyes as he peeled his mask off. 'Raven was right,' Terra thought, 'his eyes are beautiful.'

"Ready to go?" Robin asked as he handed her a helmet and straddled his bike, which had changed colour from red to black.

Terra nodded, putting on the helmet and jumping on behind Robin. With a couple of reeves of the engine, the bike shot out of the Titan's garage and off into the city.

* * *

"It was an okay film as far as action films go, it was just so unbelievable."

Robin and Terra walked out of the movie theatre towards the pizza parlour across the street. They had just finished watching the Batman movie, the latest attempt by Hollywood producers to cash in on people's love of superheroes. But since they didn't know who Batman really was and he kept himself out of the public eye, they had to make a number guesses about him and his abilities. A number of poor guesses.

"I mean who would believe you could get powers from being bitten by a genetically engineered bat" Terra ranted, "and those powers, sonar vision, controlling bats with his mind, able to hang from the ceiling."

"It was pretty farfetched," Robin smiled.

"And he was tearing people apart and eating their hearts," Terra continued, "won't Batman be upset that they're portraying him like that?"

"I doubt it," Robin laughed, "the fact that most people will think that's what he's really like, and therefore be more afraid of him, will probably make his job easier."

"At least you weren't in it; I'd hate to see what they'd make you like. Probably tearing criminal's heads off."

"Beast Boy told me I'm not going to be in it till the third film, and even I'll probably be played by some twenty-five year old with more muscles that brain cells."

"I hope they don't try to do a Teen Titans movie," Terra said with a shudder, "they'd probably have me betraying the team and dying at the end or something."

When Robin and Terra entered the Pizza Parlour they sat at one of the tables on the roof area, after the waitress took their pizza and drink orders they sat in silence.

"well since this is supposed to be a date why don't we learn more about each other," Terra said with a bright smile, "we can take it in turns to as each other questions."

"Sure, why not," Robin said, "you go first."

"Okay," Terra said as she took a moment to think of a question, "why did you start crime fighting?"

"Because I've been training for it my whole life," Robin said solemnly, "my mother, whoever she might be, knew Batman, and for reasons I don't know either didn't want to or couldn't keep me, so she gave me to him. Now he couldn't really take care of a baby and fight crime, so he left me in the care of my foster father, an ex-Special Forces Command whose family came from old money. As soon as I could walk I was taught martial arts, gymnastics and how to us my brain. By the time I was eight I had learned every form of martial arts there is and my IQ was higher than most people in university. That's when I was given a choice, I could either go to a special military school, or I could train to be like Batman and really help people, I chose this.

"So as well as training with my foster father during the day, I spent every other evening in the Batcave training with Batman. Within two years I was ready. I put three criminals in the hospital that night. This is all I've ever known. I wouldn't know how to have a "normal" life."

"So you don't know who your real parents are?" Terra asked, shocked by Robin's story.

"Batman knows who my mother is at least. And if I wanted to know I could always ask him."

"Aren't you even a little curious?"

"Me knowing who my parents are won't change who I am," Robin smiled, "but if I ever need a kidney I'll be sure to look her up. What about you? Are your parents normal?"

"My mother is, but my father, well…" Terra was apprehensive, biting her lower lip, "have you ever heard of Markovia?"

"Small European country under royal leadership," Robin stated.

"Yeah well… my father is the king."

Robin was visibly shocked, but that quickly changed to a smirk, "so you're a princess then?"

"Not really," Terra said solemnly, "he won't even admit that I'm his daughter. He sends me and my mother money every month, but I think that's just so we won't tell anyone important that he's my father. Other than that he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"He doesn't know what he's missing," Robin said with a smile.

"Thank you," Terra said with a blush.

Their pizza order soon arrived. They both took some time to eat a couple of slices before continuing with their questions.

"My turn I think," Terra said with a mischievous smile, "why do you wear that costume?"

Robin raised a questioning eyebrow, "what's wrong with my costume?"

"Do you want the whole list?" Terra smirked.

"It was originally designed to keep me on my toes," Robin said frowning playfully, "the idea was if I could move about in it and still not be spotted then my skills would improve and eventually I wouldn't need it. I've actually been meaning to redesign it, make the colours darker and add other improvements. Maybe in a month or two if nothing major is happening."

"Okay, your turn now," Terra said, sipping her drink, "and ask me something big."

"How big?" Robin asked with a sly grin.

"Colossal."

"Okay," Robin said with a knowing smile, "how long have you and Raven been in a relationship?"

Terra had a coughing fit as she breathed in some of her drink. After a minute of coughing and stuttering she was finally able to talk.

"What… what do you--?"

"I know everything," Robin said with a smile.

"I-I don't know--"

"It's okay Terra," Robin interrupted, "I know you and Raven are in a relationship. But I also know that you both like me. Something to do with vampires having a triad relationship so I'm told. I just want to know how you two got together."

Terra bit her bottom lip apprehensively, "it didn't happen over night, I wasn't even really sure how I felt about her at first. I've always known I was bisexual, so I knew I was attracted to her, but that was it. I thought it might have just been the danger thing. Raven gives off the same aura of danger and excitement that you do.

"It didn't help that I didn't know how she felt about me. I'm sure she could sense my emotions during the meditation sessions we had to help me control my powers; I was probably broadcasting them loud enough for her to hear them from Metropolis. But other than idle talking, spending more time with me and smiling more often, she never gave any indication that she felt the same way.

"Anyway about two weeks had passed since you went to Gotham and we were finishing one of our meditation sessions. We had to finish early as Raven needed to go out and feed. That's when we got the alert. Cinderblock was smashing up the pier for some reason and we all had to go and stop him. It took longer than usual as there were a lot of innocent people we needed to get out of the way first. After defeating Cinderblock and helping clear the wreckage he had caused we headed back to the Tower. It was almost three am when we got back and so the other Titans went to bed. When they had left the rec-room Raven collapsed onto the sofa. She was too weak from hunger to make it into the city now. Without a second thought I volunteered my blood.

"Raven was a bit apprehensive at first, but I insisted. I have to admit I thought her biting my neck would hurt more. Raven told me later that vampires have a natural anaesthetic that dulls the pain and keeps the person they feeding off lucid. When she was done she healed me, and before I could say anything, she kissed me. It was soft and nervous, but full of suppressed emotion. Raven told me that because she's a vampire she couldn't tell how she felt for me until she tasted my blood. And to be honest, I didn't know how much I felt for her until she needed me. Our relationship grew from there."

Robin stayed silent during Terra's tale, absorbing all the information. But there was one thing he still wanted to know, "are you going to become a vampire too?"

"I'm not sure yet," Terra shrugged, "we've talked about it, but I want more information about the transformation first. I do know I don't want to leave Raven alone."

Robin thought about everything Raven said as the waitress came over and refilled their drinks.

"Robin…" Terra said nervously, "does-does this mean that you--"

"Don't ask me that Terra," Robin interrupted, "I know what you're going to ask and I don't know the answer yet. I've thought about it and I'm still thinking about it. But there are some things I still need to sort out, personal things, before I can even consider it. I'll give you an answer, just… give me time."

Terra nodded solemnly and they both fell into silence, eating the last few slices of pizza and thinking about what was said. Robin took a moment to look at his watch.

"We have about half an hour before we have to be at the park," Robin stated, "I don't suppose there's anything else you'd like to know?"

"Actually," Terra said with a small smile, "I was kind of wondering how the Titans started. I was going to ask the others but I figured since you're the leader you'd be the best to tell me."

"Well, I actually started the team because of Raven," Robin smiled. Before Terra could question him he continued, "It started about two years ago…"

* * *

…The team I had been a part of before the Titans had recently ended. The others in the group had problems with managing their secret identities, defending their home cities and being part of the team. It was eventually decided that we should end the team to give them more time to organize their lives. I didn't have the same problem as they did. My 'secret identity' existed only when I needed to go undercover or when I had to join my father for a charity benefit. When the team ended it just meant I had more time to train and patrol Gotham.

About a month after the team dispended Batman brought me up to the Justice League Satellite. Every so often when he was called for a simple brainstorming meeting and there wasn't an emergency going on he, he'd take me up with him and show me the facilities. The view of the earth was the best part though.

I was about to make my way towards the Observation Deck when Batman and I heard shouting coming from the Meeting Room. We both went to investigate what was happening.

Before we could reach the doors they burst open and someone came running out. Raven. I didn't know who she was at the time but I could see she was distressed. She ran passed us towards the Observation Deck without a word. I watched her go before I followed Batman inside to find out what had upset her.

In the Meeting Room Zatanna was in a full blown argument with Wonder Woman. It turned out that Wonder Woman had brought Raven to the satellite to ask for help with defeating her father Trigon. But as soon as Zatanna sensed who she was she started yelling at Wonder Woman for bringing her to the satellite. They hadn't stopped arguing since. No one had even noticed that the source of the argument had left the room.

I stopped listening to what they were both saying. Zatanna and Wonder Woman were both very opinionated when it came to magical beings and how they should be treated. They would be arguing like this for hours if you let them. And no one would stop them for a while, both women tended to turn on anyone that interrupted them. Green Lantern learned that the hard way.

I left the Meeting Room to go and find Raven. I didn't need to tell Batman what I was doing; he probably knew I was going before I did.

It didn't take me long to find her. She was on the Observation Deck looking at the earth below. I had spent a lot of time there myself. It was a breathtaking sight. I approached Raven and tapped her on the back.

That turned out to be a mistake.

I was blasted off my feet and slammed into the wall behind me; I slumped down onto the floor below. As my vision cleared I saw Raven standing over me. She looked shocked and scared.

"I'm sorry," Raven said, her voice slipping to monotone, "I didn't sense you. Why can't I sense you?"

"Its part of my job," I said as I got back onto my feet, "I'm Robin."

"I've heard of you," Raven said as she looked me up and down, "I thought you'd be taller."

"I get that a lot," I said with a smile, hoping to make her feel at ease, "and you are?"

"Raven," she said and without another word she turned back to the view. I stood next to her and looked down on the world.

"Are you okay?"

Raven let out a heavy sigh before she said anything, "I came up here looking for help. If I have to fight Trigon alone I have no chance."

That's when the idea for starting the Titans came to me. Not only could I help Raven with her problem but I could also be part of a team again, something I didn't realize I missed until I wasn't part of one anymore.

"I'm starting up a team in a couple of months," I said with a smile, "where superheroes our age can get together and train and hang out. You could join if you wanted."

Raven gave me a sceptical look, "what help would that be?"

"Well you could make a few friends. It's been my experience that good friends are willing to fight to the ends of the earth for you."

"I've-I've never had any friends before," Raven said without looking at me.

"I'd like to be your friend."

Raven looked at me and saw how serious I was, giving me an unsure smile, "I'd like that. But if they found out about Trigon being my father…"

"We don't need to tell them any of that to being with," I assured her, "we can just start the team, get them trained and fight crime together. And when Trigon shows up we can just treat him as any other threat."

I could tell she was still a little sceptical so I continued, "And when the world sees you fighting bad guys and helping innocent people, more heroes will be willing to help you. Even Zatanna will be bending over backwards to lend a hand."

"You're smarter than you look," Raven smirked.

"I'll take that as a complement," I took a contact card out of my utility belt and handed it to her, "give me a call tomorrow and I'll send you all the details on where the team's base will be set up. We can figure out who else can join after that."

"Thank you," Raven smiled softly, "I need to talk to Wonder Woman about heading back to earth but…"

"Don't worry about it, I'll go and get her for you."

With our final goodbyes said I made my way back to the Meeting Room, going over my plans for the team…

* * *

"…A couple of months later and the Tower was built and we were joined by Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire," Robin finished with a smile.

"So… you started the team for Raven," Terra said in awe, remembering to tease Raven about that when she got back to the Tower.

"Helping people is what being a hero is all about," Robin said before looking at his watch, "come on, we better get going to the park now."

Robin quickly paid for their meal, leaving a generous tip, and he and Terra left the Pizza Parlour. The walk to the park didn't take that long, once they arrived Robin and Terra walked leisurely towards the area the attacks had taken place, arms linked to make it look more like they were on a real date.

"I've enjoyed myself tonight," Terra smiled as she looked up at the stars, "this has been one of the best dates I've ever been on."

"I don't have much of a frame of reference," Robin shrugged, "I haven't been on that many dates."

"Really?" Terra's shocked expression turned into a smirk, "I would have thought you'd have a number of notches on your bedpost."

"I said I haven't been on many dates. It doesn't mean I haven't done other things."

Terra's curiosity pecked, "oh, anyone I know?"

"I wouldn't tell you if you did know them," Robin said seriously, "I don't kiss and tell."

Terra stopped walking and looked at Robin, "so… if I were to kiss you, you wouldn't tell anyone?"

Robin looked directly into Terra's eyes, "no I wouldn't."

Without saying anything else, Terra began leaning into Robin, tilting her head and closing her eyes. Robin didn't know whether to respond to her. A part of him wanted to; while another part knew he still had some things to sort out. Thankfully he didn't have to decide.

"Do you hear that?"

Terra opened her eyes to ask what when she heard it. A whistling sound that was getting louder. Before she could even ask what it was Robin pushed her and himself out of the way. Not a second latter a man landed with an all mighty thud right where they had been standing, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

The man standing before them was dressed in a mock Superman costume. He wore long johns that had been dyed blue poorly, with red Y fronts over them. What were once black boots had been crudely spray painted red and what was probably once a mauve curtain was attached as a cape. A large, yellow felt triangle, with a D drawn on with marker pen, was attached to his chest. Terra didn't know whether to laugh or pity him.

"Step away from her villain or face the power of Super Derek," he yelled towards Robin.

"Okay I think I realize what's going on now," Robin whispered to Terra, "this guy has a twisted form of hero syndrome, possibly a persecution complex. He sees me as the villain and you as the victim. Once I'm dead he'll want thanks and justification from you, most likely in the form of raping you to death."

"You know a lot about the mentally disturbed," Terra whispered back, slightly worried about this man wanting to force himself on her.

"They breed them in Gotham," Robin responded, keeping his eyes on Derek.

"Don't listen to his lies, he wants to use you for evil," Derek yelled as he lunged forward.

Robin pushed Terra to the side and jumped out of the way as Derek's fist slammed into the ground where the Boy Wonder was standing. A birdarang shot through the air, slamming into Derek's jaw with a sickening crack. Howling in pain, Derek lunged again. Robin flipped over him, slamming his staff into the base of his skull, and knocking him to the ground.

"Thankfully he isn't invincible like Superman," Robin said as he stood next to Terra, "we need to keep him on the ground. You go in on the left and I'll--"

Terra's eye glowed yellow as she pointed at Derek. The ground beneath became like liquid and his body sank into it. His head and hands were left on the surface as the ground solidified. Derek howled in frustration, shaking his head from side to side as he tried to escape.

"--Or you could just do that," Robin smiled.

"I don't just train with you, you know," Terra smiled proudly; "me and Raven don't just make out when we're alone. At least not all the time."

Super Derek's screams intensified. Robin walked over and hit him in the temple with his staff. His head and hands became lip after that.

"This is why I don't go on many dates," Robin sighed as he got out his phone to call the police, "I always end up having to hit someone."

* * *

Robin and Terra arrived back at the Tower an hour later. The police's Metahuman Task Force had arrived quickly to restrain Super Derek and escort him to the jail for processing.

"Well Robin you certainly know how to show a girl a good time," Terra smirked as they made their way to their rooms.

"It's all in the planning."

"I enjoyed it, even the end," Terra said with a frown, "it was… educational."

They both slipped into silence as they walked down the hall. They reached Robin's room and stopped.

"Well I better go and tell Raven all the gory details," Terra shrugged, "if I don't turn up soon she'll hunt me down."

"Thanks again for your help Terra," Robin smiled, "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Anytime Robin," Terra said.

She gave Robin a quick peck on the cheek before walking of towards her own room.

"Anytime."

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** A bit of history for this chapter. What I wrote about Terra's father is from the original comics, and how the team started was similar. Robin's history is unique to me however. I purposely left out robin knowing who his parents are as you'll find out in the next chapter. Robin's mother is the same as another DC Comics character who has found out in a current storyline. I thought about doing this before that came out and I'm not going to change it now. Everyone will definitely know Robin's father as it's one of the oldest Teen Titans Fanfiction clichés. Some of you won't like it but I have a few chapters based on this and I can't change it now.

The Batman movie was an idea that came to me a while ago. I thought "I people didn't know who or what Batman really was, what kind of movie would be made about him?" It made more sense than them going to see the actual Batman move, or even one of Marvel's ones.

I just found out that the Brotherhood of Evil are in season 5 of Teen Titans. And I had plans to put them in this fic eventually with my own twist. I will put them in but now I'll have to wait until I have more information on them. I noticed on a screenshot I saw that Psimon is in it too. I'm not going to change mine though as I have plans for him soon.

* * *

**666RaVeN999:** No you don't have a choice. Once you fall into The Omakeer's web there is no escape. Mwa ha ha ha.

**Hound Archon:** Robin doesn't really have a choice in the matter, if he wants to be with Raven he has to at least accept her being with Terra. Raven isn't going to give up being with one just so she can be with the other. Yeah she's being a little selfish but she deserves to be. She can't drink as much as she wants or she'll kill someone, she has a demon for a father and she's been told all her life she's going to end the world. She deserves to get as much action as she wants. Besides, any guy that says he doesn't want two girls is lying or gay, in which case he's want two guys anyway. And no their won't be a complication to Knowledge's plan, in fact it will help robin in a latter chapter.

**DragonMaster4381:** Thanks for the review.

**PHAOE:** I'm glad I can make you smile and I hope I can make it happen again. And they are still human, or at least have human emotions and hormones and so are still susceptible to the same perversions and mental anguish as the rest of us. I didn't realize the chess thing had been used enough to be classed as a cliché. But Robin beating Raven made more sense to me in the end.

**Phantom Writer:** I explained the bond in the notes at the beginning of this chapter. I hope that helps you understand what I was doing. If there is anything else that I write that you don't understand let me know. I'll either explain in the following chapter of go back and change it.

**Midori Aoi:** Sorry, I've already got it in my head who Beast Boy's girlfriend is going to be, I've got two, maybe three stories involving her. However if you want I can make you a vampire in the club Robin, Raven and Terra are going to visit in a few chapters if you want to sent me you details. You'll even have a couple of lines. Let me know what you think.

**Akanan:** Thanks for the review.

**-TheAzrathian-:** It's not really that I get writers block. I have lots of notes that I sort out for each chapter that have the plot for each chapter. It's getting in the writing flow that I have the problem with. If I get in the flow I can write a whole chapter in one day. Other times I can be in the flow, then lose it, then it can take two to three days to finish. And then some times the flow evades me for days, weeks even. The best thing for me to do then is to go and do something else and wait for it to come. I can be in the middle of a book and it'll hit me, then I just jump on my computer write away. I've actually been using the flow from my Harry Potter fic to get this and the last chapter out. I don't know if I can do that for the next chapter though as I'll have the HP fans out for my blood.

**Cherry Jade:** Thank you my loyal reviewer, I always get a smile whenever I get a review from you. You were my first for this fic after all. A bit of talking in this chapter about how Robin feels. But we're still at least four or five chapters from them starting their relationship. Hope you can wait that long.

**Crzy Grl:** A little bit of Robin's POV in this chapter, just because you like it so much. As I said next is mostly from his POV. Chapter 8 I'm not so sure about, if I do it will only be a little bit. Chapter 9 however is all from Robin's POV as he has to deal with his feelings for Raven and Terra and what happens in the next two chapters. As you saw in this chapter Robin and Terra had a little "date" and got the chance to talk more. Hope you liked it.

**leader:** Technically Robin kissed one of Raven's emotions, not Raven herself, but I'm glad you liked it. And yes Robin is ruthless, relentless, and merciless, though he's still able to be pleasant to his friends, or at least fake it for their sakes. I was tempted to mention Spoiler and that other girl Robin knew that died in the Gang Wars in the first chapter, but robin had enough to think about with his foster father dieing. I might mention her in chapter 9 though as it would be a good reason why Robin is a bit unwilling to start a relationship, (you just full of good ideas aren't you). I'm glad you took the time to read Five Minutes Peace too. Wouldn't we all like those pictures of Wonder Woman.

**Lenarta:** I should probably think of a few more chapters involving Raven's emotions as they seem to be an underused commodity in the show. I tried to show Robin as having the same kind of dark humour as me. I'm not sure I pulled it off but at least you liked it.

**Lnksmartt:** Thanks for the review.

**HorusRei:** I think I have my writers block problem beaten for the moment. I may even get the next chapter out within a week. But don't hold your breath.

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH:** Chapter 7 is going to be about Robin's parents more then anything. But as I promised you Raven will feed in that chapter. And all because you wanted to see it.

**the-kiss-of-oblivion:** I'm glad you stopped lurking and I hope you review again (I like reviews.)


	7. Nature Vs Nurture

**Author's Notes:** There has been a major delay on the update of this fic, but I have good reason. About six weeks ago I had to go on a special course. It lasted for two weeks and was all day every day so I couldn't get any writing done. Then about four weeks ago I started a new job. The hours (and days off) for this job are all over the place at the moment as my boss seems to be crazy. To make matters worse I don't have internet access at home at the moment and have to go to the library on my days off. So from now on I'm going to try to follow a pattern. The first day off I get each week I should hopefully send a new chapter to my new BETA (thanks again Crzy Grl) and unless I need to add more to the story I'll update on my second day off. Hope you can all be patient with me.

I finally got 'Teen Titans: Season 2: Volume 1: Fear Itself' on DVD from America. It took three weeks to arrive, but was worth the wait. I got a couple of ideas for future chapters, as well as finally getting to see Terra in action. And also, according to the special feature on the Tower, the rec-room (where the Titans all hang out) is apparently called the operations room, so from now on that's what it will be called in this fic.

More of the ever popular Robin POV. Really simple this time, Normal, Robin, Normal, Robin, Normal, Robin, Normal, Robin. I know at least one person that will be happy about this. You know who you are.

This chapter is dedicated to Crzy Grl who BETA'd this chapter for me. Go read her stories as they are brilliant.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Chapter Seven:** Nature Vs Nurture

* * *

Starfire flew down to the lobby as she did every morning, eager to collect the morning mail. After the incident with the Puppet King, Robin, Cyborg and Raven put together a special drop box over the original mail slot. This scanned the mail for anything mechanical, biological, or mystical that could harm the Titans and sent out an alert if there was anything. As there was nothing out of the ordinary today Starfire collected everything and made her way back to the operations room with a cheerful smile.

This morning was relatively quiet for the Titans. Aqua Lad was busy washing the dishes from breakfast, humming a little tune to himself. Beast Boy and Cyborg were teaching Matthew how to play videogames before it was time for school, each of them making jokes about how he could already beat the other.

Robin and Raven were engaged in a chess game while Terra watched. Raven was a little annoyed that he seemed to be putting little to no effort into the game, making his moves while still talking to Terra.

"What I want to start teaching you next is a style called Moo-Gi-Gon," Robin said, "it's not really in the martial arts family. It's basically learning how to use easily accessible objects as weapons to defend or even to kill."

"What kinds of objects?" Terra asked, half watching Raven planning her next move.

"Anything and everything from kitchen utensils to paperclips."

"How do you kill someone with a paper clip?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Robin smirked.

"Are you even paying attention to this game?" Raven asked after making her move, her annoyance clear to both Titans.

""The only way to become smarter is to play a smarter opponent"" Robin smirked as he quickly made his move, "that's what I was told by the man that taught me to play. You learn more by playing against someone better, than against someone worse. Besides, if you do beat me then you'll have no one else to play against, and then how would you feel?"

Raven mumbled something incoherent and put her focus back on the chess board.

"Greeting friends," Starfire said as she entered the room, "I bring our subscribed magazines, daily newspapers and written correspondences from loved ones."

Starfire placed the magazines on the coffee table for everyone to read, the newspapers on the dining table for Robin to read after his game (or during if he felt like annoying Raven further) and then started handing out the four letters.

Cyborg's was from his father discussing his latest inventions and possible future upgrades, Beast Boy's was from his adoptive parents in Doom Patrol wanting to meet up sometime and see how he was doing, and Terra's was from her mother complaining that she hadn't heard from her in a while. The other Titans never got any family letters. Robin and Raven didn't have parents in the normal sense, they didn't have paper underwater and no mailman delivered between planets. But there was one letter left, this perked everyone's interest.

"This letter appears to be for someone name Timothy Drake," Starfire said, staring at the envelope intently, "and the address is not for Titans Tower. This letter belongs on the other side of the city. It appears that the Male Man has made an error."

"Give it here Star," Robin said, taking it from the alien princess, "I'll take it to the post office later. You get ready for school."

Once Starfire moved off to get herself and Matthew ready Robin turned his attention back to the letter.

"Something wrong, Robin?" Raven asked, noticing the thoughtful look on the Boy Wonder's face.

"It's nothing," Robin said instantly, starting to get up from the table, "I just remembered there's something I have to do today. Sorry Terra, our lesson will have to wait for a later date."

"Wait," Raven said, finishing her latest move, "we haven't finished our game yet. I think I have you where I want you now."

Robin quickly moved one of his pieces.

"Checkmate," Robin left the room, leaving a visibly shocked Raven and a giggling Terra.

* * *

I left the operations room and proceeded to the crime lab, I needed to find out as much as I could about this letter. The other Titans didn't know that my real name was Timothy Drake. It wasn't that I didn't want them to know, I just didn't see a need for it. I only used my name in recent years for charity parties, and with my foster father dead I doubt I'd be using it again for a long time.

I could list the people that even knew my real name on one hand, and none of them would bother sending a letter to me. Add the fact that there was no stamp or post mark meant someone went to a lot of trouble to get this letter to me.

I entered the crime lab and started my tests. I checked for fingerprints first, but other than Starfire's, which unlike humans were made up of horizontal lines, there weren't any. I swabbed it and couldn't find any DNA either. The name and address was typed on so I couldn't find out anything from the handwriting recognition program on the computer. Whoever sent this was a professional.

I opened the envelope carefully and pulled out a single piece of paper. All it said was "12 o'clock Today". Every about this screamed trap. I briefly thought about telling the others, but a part of me saw this as a challenge. And I never could turn down a challenge.

I left a message on my communicator telling the Titans that I would be busy till further notice and input the address on the envelope into the computer before making my way to the garage.

I made it across town in record time, positioning myself on the building across the street from the letter's address. It wasn't anything unique, an abandoned warehouse by the looks of it; all the windows had been boarded up. The buildings next to it had all been turned into stylish new apartments and office blocks, but this one appeared untouched. My micro-computer received the buildings information from the one in the crime lab. The place belonged to a Sandra Woosan who bought it almost eighteen years ago. And other than paying to have it inspected and brought up to code, she apparently hadn't been near it since. The place was probably a tax write off. Abandoned warehouses could easily be turning into death traps in a matter of hours, but if this was a trap there were less public places they could have sprung it from.

I watched the building carefully in the hopes of seeing anyone enter or leave, but most people walked passed and didn't even give the place a second glance. At exactly 12 o'clock the buildings skylight opened, obviously to bait me. I took a second to set the alarm on my communicator just in case anything happened. If for some reason I couldn't press the snooze button every minute it would send a distress signal to Titans Tower. I might be a risk taker, but I'm far from stupid.

I dropped through the skylight to find the inside of the building wasn't what I expected. The interior was exactly like a Japanese temple. Large, wooden pillars engraved with dragons ran two-by-two along the length of the building. Torches on golden poles were placed around the place to give it just enough light. And blinds with Japanese calligraphy obscured the corners from view.

I was about to investigate further when someone spoke to me from a concealed location.

"I wasn't sure you were going to turn up. I'm glad you did Timothy."

It was a woman's voice, one I didn't know. From my training in voice recognition I could she had a mixed heritage. One of her parents was American, the other oriental, most likely Japanese from the decorations. Her accent was weakened suggesting she spent a lot of time traveling. I didn't respond to her. Due to the echo and acoustics of the building I couldn't tell where she was. If I didn't say anything she would have to carry the conversation, then I could pinpoint where she was hiding.

"No need to be on your guard Timothy," she said as she stepped from behind a pillar in front of me, "if I wanted you dead, you would be already."

My blood froze as I looked at her. She wore pitch black karate robes and sandals. She had the kind of body you saw on Olympic gymnasts, graceful but at the same time strong. She was definitely of American/Japanese heritage; I could see it in her face. Her hair was similar to mine, except about an inch longer. And her eyes, seemed full of life, but at the same time cold as ice. When I looked at most people, their bodies speak to me, telling me what movements they're going to make next. Hers was like listening to a choir. If she moved I might be able to dodge her, but I wouldn't be able to hit her. She was definitely beautiful, but in no way was I attracted to her. I was afraid of her.

Some people say that I'm arrogant, though never to my face, that I think I can beat anyone in a fight. But I don't, I know my limitations better than most people. I know there are at least five people in the world that are better in martial arts than I am. Two of them I know personally, one is an old woman that lives in the mountains, another lives on an island in the South China Seas and spends his life meditating and beating up trees. The last one spends her life traveling the world finding other martial artists and beating them to death. Her name is Lady Shiva.

And she is standing in front of me.

I recognized her from a photo Bruce had of her. He had lost count of the number of martial artists she'd killed over the years. She was right, if she wanted me dead, I would be.

"I've wanted to meet you for a while now," Lady Shiva said, giving me an appraising look, "trained by the Batman. Fighting with Slade and surviving, quite an amazing feat."

I didn't say anything; I just stayed in my fighting stance. If she was going to attack I was going to be ready. I didn't have a chance at beating her, but I'd at least go down fighting.

She smiled at me as if she knew what I was thinking, and she probably did from my body language. "I've been watching you for a long time now Timothy. A lot longer than you probably think I have. And I think that now you are finally ready."

"To fight you?"

She chuckled and shook her head, "to be trained by me."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. It seemed like forever before I could think of anything to say and even then I couldn't come up with anything more eloquent than, "why?"

"You have potential," Lady Shiva said with a knowing smile, "you come from impressive stock and with just three days of my guidance you could become a powerful warrior. Even if you do not use your skills for death duels. What do you say?"

I couldn't say anything. I went over everything Bruce had ever told me about her. She considered herself to be a warrior, fighting martial artists to the death but never attacking anyone else, trained in fighting styles long forgotten. To be trained by her is the offer of a life time. How could I pass it up?

"When can we start?"

* * *

It was late in the evening and as usual, Raven had been putting off feeding until the last minute. In her mind it was always better to wait until her stomach growled before she went out for her weekly pint of blood. Terra had offered hers, but Raven turned her down. If there was an emergency the city then Terra needed to be at full strength, not woozy from blood loss.

A quick flight over the city and Raven soon found a suitable donor. A young man in his early twenties, healthy and quite athletic, but more importantly, disease and drug free. A couple of quick spells and he stopped his jogging, walked into an alley and stood there, a small part of him no doubt wondering why he was doing that. Another spell and he fell into a deep sleep while still standing. Raven did a quick concealment spell and floated down in front of him. She tipped his head to the side, extended her fangs and bit into his neck.

It was pure bliss as far as Raven was concerned. Like the first glass of water after wandering through the desert. She could feel the life force building in her after the first taste. Half-demon vampires got more energy out of blood than normal vampires did. It was the only reason she could live of just a pint a week.

Raven took her time, knowing that this would have to last her until next week. But all too soon she felt the peak in her energy flow. Her body wanted more, needed more. Raven pulled away from the young man's neck, her tongue frantically licking her lips and moving about as if trying to draw more blood from the air. Once she had calmed down, Raven applied some healing magic to the bite mark, it was gone in seconds.

The young man came back to his senses in the empty alley way. He had no idea why he had even come in here. Shrugging it off and absent mindedly rubbing his neck, he left the alley and continued his jog. Raven stepped out of the shadows once he had gone. She was feeling better than she had before; her feeling of hunger had gone down to a tolerable level. Raven was getting sick of being hungry all the time. Terra had suggested that they invite Robin to the vampire club Nox's. She decided that when she got there she would find the oldest and strongest vampire she could and find out about getting rid of her father's curse. Now all she had to do was get the nerve to invite Robin.

'Maybe tomorrow night… If he isn't doing anything… I'll ask him,' Raven thought to herself. She ignored Bravery calling her a coward and took to the sky, quickly reaching roof level.

"Hey Raven."

Raven almost dropped out of the sky in surprise, catching herself at the last second. She glared at the smirk on Robin's face. She was beginning to get very annoyed at how the Boy Wonder could sneak up on her. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed the bruise on his cheek.

"How did that happen?" Raven asked. Without thinking she crabbed his chin and turned his head to the side to get a better look, "I didn't think anyone could hit you."

"I wish that were true," Robin said with a sigh, "this is nothing. I started training with someone today, a 'smarter opponent' if you will."

"Is that what that letter was all about?" Raven asked with a smirk.

Robin didn't let his shock show on his face, though a little came out in his voice, "what makes you say that?"

"I notice things too Robin," Raven said, "I saw the way you were looking at that letter, I also say that it had no post mark. Add the fact that you cancelled your training session with Terra and have been gone all day I knew something was up. So… is Timothy Drake your real name?"

Robin looked up to the stars and let out a sigh, "it is, or at least it used to be. I don't get much use out of it any more. This is who I am now."

"Does this mean I can call you Tim?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"As long as you don't do it in front of the others," Robin frowned. Robin started moving along the roof tops towards where he hid his motorbike, Raven flying alongside him.

"Terra told me about your… date. In fact she hasn't stopped teasing me about it," Raven frowned, ignoring Robin's chuckles, "she also told me about your conversation. I… I just want to make sure that…"

"I'm not going to tell the other's anything you don't want me to Raven," Robin said, predicting what she wanted to say, "If wanted them to know anything about that mission I would have told them before we went. Yours… and Terra's secrets are safe with me Raven."

Raven smiled to herself, she could always count on Robin to say the right thing. "I just don't feel comfortable with the thought of them knowing how I feel for Terra, or for… anyone."

Robin stopped and looked Raven in the eye, "I understand Raven. Believe me, I understand. And hopefully, I'll understand more soon."

Raven just smiled softly and nodded. She was nothing if not patient.

"So… how long is this training for?"

"Just three days," Robin said, "but afterwards I'll apparently be a changed man."

"Changed for the better I hope," Raven said, more as a statement than a question.

Robin didn't say anything; he didn't have an answer for that yet.

* * *

I was knocked onto my ass for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was the second day of my training with Lady Shiva and I could see, and feel, the differences in hers and every other training technique I had ever experienced. Other trainers would show me a number of moves, get me to repeat them, and then see if I could use them on another person. Shiva's technique was much simpler. She would show me the move, and then attack me to see if I could use it. This resulted in me getting knocked down a number of times.

"You are doing much better," she said with a smile, "we'll take a break now. Come and have some tea."

I thought about asking to carry on for a little longer, but my bruised body protested against that idea. I moved over to the table and two chairs near the far wall Shiva had set up before I arrived. It seemed highly unusual to be sitting down to tea with a woman that might try to kill me sooner or later, but I didn't say anything, the last thing I wanted to do was offend her.

I accepted the cup of tea and biscuit Shiva offered me and sat across from her. We sat in silence for a few minutes quietly drinking before Shiva spoke again.

"You know I've been… monitoring you for a while now. Watching you battling all these strange characters in their colourful costumes. It does make me wonder why you do it all though."

"Because it's the right thing to do," I said without hesitation. I had been asked this question enough times by other heroes and the occasional villain the answer came automatically. "I didn't have to do all this I could have been in the army instead. But I thought I could do more good as a vigilante, and I thought it would be more exciting."

"Have you ever killed anyone while doing this?" she asked with a raised eye.

"No, I've crippled more than a few and I've let some villains be killed by their minions or even other villains, I'm not as apposed to that as Batman is. But personally, no."

"Would you ever kill one yourself?"

I took a moment to think about it, I wasn't very comfortable talking about killing someone with a woman I knew had beaten people to death. But a killer is probably the only person you can really talk to about killing. "I've thought about it and… I'm not sure. Thieves and muggers, probably not, rapists and murders, it would depend on how horrific their crime was or if I caught them in the act. But if someone hurt my friends then… probably."

Shiva filled her cup with more tea before changing the subject, "I heard you trained with Slade as well. He's quite a competent fighter himself."

I frowned at the mention of Slade. Being forced to work as his apprentice was what made me think about killing anyone that hurt my friends. If there was anyone I'd actually enjoy taking the life of it would be him. "He has an advantage that other fighters don't. His armour stops you from seeing his body language and increases his strength."

"What do you think of him?" Shiva asked.

"He's a user. He uses anything and anyone for his own selfish needs. If he has any family out there, and I hope the universe isn't cruel enough for something like that to happen, then he would probably use them too."

Shiva had an unreadable look on her face, it didn't help that I couldn't read her body language either, her expression quickly changed to a smile, "so how is the cranky old bat?"

I raised a questioning eyebrow, "you know Batman?"

A soft smile came across Shiva's face, it made me feel nervous, "since before you were born." She filled my cup with more tea before she changed the subject again, "I saw you out on a date with the blond girl from your team… is she your girlfriend then?"

If she expected me to blush she would be disappointed, "that was just so we could catch a serial killer. She isn't my girlfriend."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

I had to admit I thought it was a little weird for her to be asking me all these questions, but none of them were too personal, "I think I'm too messed up at the moment for anything more involved than a one night stand. And quite frankly I'm so busy fighting crime that I have next to no free time for any dating stuff."

Shiva finished off the last of her tea before she spoke again, "have you ever thought of having a superhero girlfriend?"

The image of Raven and Terra passed across my mind, "sometimes."

"Well I think we should get back to training now," I followed Shiva back over to the training mat and got into a fighting stance.

* * *

It started off as a simple enough plan; at least in Beast Boy's head it was simple.

He and Aqua Lad had talked about going to Atlantis this week to see some of the sights and enjoy some of the parties. Unfortunately Beast Boy not only had a lot of chores to do this week, but he also had a heap of homework. He knew Robin and Cyborg wouldn't let him go with all that to do; responsibilities came before fun in their eyes. Thankfully he had a plan.

One he called his Strip Poker Plot.

With Robin out doing whatever he was doing and Cyborg busy in the garage making upgrades this was the perfect opportunity. It didn't take much to talk Aqua Lad in to playing; it surprised him how easy it was. Beast Boy knew if Aqua Lad was playing to the girls would be more willing to join in.

It wasn't that Beast Boy wanted to see the girls naked, not at all. He saw them all as part of his family, like sisters. This was purely about blackmail. With the spy cameras set up in the operations room, all he had to do was take a few pictures of them with fewer clothes on, pretend that he was willing to put them on the internet, and get them to do his chores for him. He'd be dancing with mermaids before he knew it.

It was fairly easy to get Starfire to play. She was always interested in learning any earth game. When she learned that Aqua Lad was playing, she practically screamed her desire to play, Beast Boy's ears were still ringing.

Raven was going to be harder to convince. Beast Boy knew she would see right through him. He found her in the operations room sitting with Terra and watching some documentary. Beast Boy waited for almost ten minutes, until the show broke for commercials, building up his courage before he talked to both girls.

He regretted it almost instantly.

The look on Raven's face after he asked promised eternal pain and torture for even thinking of asking her. She opened her mouth, no doubt to banish him to another dimension, when Terra stopped her. She pulled Raven out of ear shot of Beast Boy and started whispering to her. Raven was smirking ever-so-slightly when the girls came back over. They both agreed to play, under the conditions that they all go change into street clothes, as their costumes didn't have much to them, and that whoever reached their underwear wouldn't play any further. Beast Boy agreed, pictures of them in their underwear were just as good for blackmailing. He jogged to his room, putting on three pairs of every item of clothing and even wearing his oversized, foam, novelty cowboy hat. He knew Robin wasn't the only one that could come up with working plans, everything was going perfectly.

* * *

As my fist finally connected with Lady Shiva's jaw all the training from the last three days slotted into place in my brain. My focus shifted from where she fell to the floor to her blood on my glove. Shiva smiled at me like she had accomplished something, she had obviously been waiting for this moment.

I helped her to her feet as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, "I think you've learned all I can teach you Timothy, you've just gone up another level in you fighting abilities."

She was right. I had never even heard of the moves she had taught me. My movements had never been more fluid. But now when I looked at her I could understand her body language. She might still have been able to beat me, but now at least I had a fighting chance.

"Use what I have taught you however you see fit," Shiva said as she turned her back on me, "goodbye Timothy; I doubt we will meet again."

As she walked away from me I became more confused. I was sure she was training me up so she would have a better fight, but now she was leaving and my curiosity got the better of me.

"Why did you do this? Was it to prove you were better than Batman?"

Shiva stopped a few feet away from me; it was a few seconds before she turned to face me, "I just thought you needed more protection."

Now I was really confused, "but why?"

Shiva let out a small sigh, "you're a smart boy Timothy. Surely you should be able to figure out why an older woman would want you to have more protection."

As she said that all the information from the last two days clicked into to place in my brain. She knew my name, had been watching me for sometime, asking me questions about me and my love life. As I looked at Shiva more closely I could see the similarities that I had overlooked before. The shape of her eyes and face, her hair, even her athletic body. I stared at her in stunned silence and tried to get my mouth working.

"You're… my mother."

Shiva simply nodded in response. I didn't know what to say or do. I had no desire to show some emotional display, I wasn't going to cry or hug her or anything stupid like that. But still I couldn't think of a response. I stood in silence in hope that Shiva would carry the conversation.

"But giving you more protection wasn't the only reason I wanted to meet with you," Shiva said, her eye's softening slightly, "I also wanted to se how much you were like me… and how much you're like your father."

This sentence got my brain working. I had never had any particular interest in who my parents were before. I lived under the belief that it wouldn't change who I am if I did know. But now that I knew my mother spent her days traveling the world and beating martial artists to death, I was curious about my father. Was he a fighter too? A killer? Was he dead? Had Shiva killed him? I had to know.

"Who is my father?"

Shiva turned away from me and started to walk away, "you don't want to know that Timothy, trust me. He doesn't know you're his son though. I broke up our relationship before he knew I was pregnant with you."

"Shiva…" I paused and decided to try a different approach, "mother, please, who is my father. Tell me enough that I could at least find out myself."

Shiva stopped in her tracks. After a minute she turned and faced me with a sigh, "think about it Timothy. Think about all the people in your life, everyone you've ever met. Then think who is the worst person in the world that could be your father."

I quickly did what she said. I thought of the worst person in my life that could have given my half my genetic code. The list was short. Incredibly short. It couldn't be true, I refused to believe it. I looked up to find Lady Shiva had gone. I fired my grappling hook up and pulled myself through the skylight. I had to get back to my lab in the Tower. I needed prove her wrong. I had too.

* * *

Beast Boy couldn't understand how it all went down hill. The game had started out well enough, all of them sat around the dinning table and dealing out the cards, before he knew it both he and Aqua Lad were down to their underwear after Raven had won their clothes. Starfire and Terra were trying on the boy's clothes and had even placed Beast Boy's hat on Raven, which she wore with a small smirk.

But Beast Boy wasn't willing to give up yet, if he couldn't blackmail the girls, maybe he bet with his chores, if he could beat them enough that they would be doing his chores for a week or two he could still go to Atlantis. After they all agreed to play for chores a new game was started. An hour later and Beast Boy and Aqua Lad had to do the girls chores for the next three months.

"Can we at least have our clothes back?" Beast Boy asked, as he looked at his terrible cards.

"These clothing items now belong to us friend Beast Boy," Starfire smiled as she wore his Hawaiian shirt, "you should have thought of the possibility of losing your garments before you challenged us to this game."

Beast Boy let out a groan as he looked at his cards. They were incredibly poor. He was working on his poker face when he spotted Robin coming up from the garage.

"Hey Robin," Beast Boy said as cheerily as he could with so few clothes on, "d'you want to join us? We can deal you…"

Beast Boy trailed off as Robin exited through the main doors, lost in a world of his own.

"What's wrong with him?" Beast Boy wondered.

"Never mind about him," Terra said, wearing Beast Boy's tee-shirt with the slogan "No Fat Chicks" and smiling wickedly, "concentrate on the game before you end up doing our chores for the next six months."

Beast Boy looked across at Aqua Lad, from the look on his face he probably had even worse cards. Beast Boy was about to except having dishpan hands for the foreseeable future when Cyborg walked up from the garage.

"Dude, come join us," Beast Boy said happily, "we're playing poker and me and Aqua Lad need help winning our clothes back."

Cyborg looked at the scene before him, his eyes traveling from person to person, "you're playing poker?"

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, "yes Cy we're playing poker."

Cyborg's eyes rested on the girls, "with Raven?"

"Duh."

Cyborg frowned at his green friend, "listen to what I'm saying BB. You're playing poker with Raven."

"So," Beast Boy shrugged.

"Raven the empath," Cyborg said, seeing Beast Boy wasn't understanding, "Raven who can read your emotions and probably know what cards you have."

Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something but stopped as realization struck him. He turned to look at Raven, who just smirked and tipped her newly won oversized, foam, novelty cowboy hat.

"WHAT?" Beast Boy and Aqua Lad yelled as they both jumped to their feet. Any further outbursts were silenced though as both teens heard a clicking sound coming from Cyborg's direction. They looked up to see his cybernetic eye extended slightly.

"Pictures of Beast Boy and Aqua Lad in their underwear," Cyborg smiled as his cybernetic eye moved back into place, "these will get me a fortune on eBay."

Cyborg ran to his room, Beast Boy and Aqua Lad hot on his heels, laughing all the way.

* * *

I was vaguely aware of Beast Boy trying to talk to me as I made my way to the crime lab, but I was far to preoccupied to deal with whatever idiotic scheme he had planed today.

I entered the lab, turned on the computer and started the DNA recognition and testing programme. With the advance technology we got from the Justice League and Wayne Tech I could do a DNA test in minutes.

I took a swab of Shiva's blood from my glove and matched it to a sample of my own. I believed her when she said she was my mother, but a small part of me wanted her to be lying. If she wasn't my mother, then he couldn't be my father.

The result came in after three minutes. Lady Shiva was my mother.

Now came the test I didn't want to be positive. I already had his DNA on file from a while ago. I ran the test. The three minutes seemed more like three hours. The test came back in. I ran it again just in case it was a mistake. It wasn't.

It was a nightmare. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. But no matter how many times I ran the test it was still the same.

Slade was my father.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I bet you all thought I forgot about the cliché part of this fic didn't you. Slade being Robin's father is a big cliché, no where as big as Slade molesting Robin but I never read those ones anyway. The only difference with my fic is that Slade doesn't know he's Robin's dad, at least not yet. I have now doubt that some of you won't like this twist, but I have a lot of chapters working from this plot line and I'm not smart enough to change them now.

In a current DC Comics story line Lady Shiva (or Sandra Woosan as she otherwise known) is the mother of the new Batgirl. I thought of this story line before the comic was published and decided to use it for my own purposes.

I put in the Raven feeding scene a couple of chapters earlier than I planned because ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH asked for it (and because I realized this is a Vamp fic with not enough about vampires in it). If you liked it, then some of your praise should go to her. If you didn't then it's all her fault and I had nothing to do with it.

* * *

**Hound Archon:** Pick my story apart as much as you want, you doing that gets me thinking about what's wrong with my story and what needs improving. You get as many of your thoughts out as you want.

**HorusRei:** I haven't been able to read as many fics as I'd like recently (and there are a lot I'd like to as well) but I write less when I'm reading, so I guess it's a good thing I'm not.

**Cherry Jade:** I needed to do a bit of Terra/Robin before the relationship started or it would seem like they were only connected through Raven. The histories were from the original comics but twisted to my own designs, but Robin's was original as far as I know. Terra's powers will be a lot better for me to visualise now that I've seen her in action. Robin is a ladies man, you'll find out more about that in chapter 9. You shouldn't have to wait much longer for Robin and Raven to start getting hot and heavy.

**Unknown Goddess Li-chi:** snuggles back once I get hold of readers I never let them go no matter how much they flame me and cliff hangers are the glue that keeps them in place, Mwa ha ha ha. Raven, Robin and Terra forever indeed.

**Black Malva:** Different in a unique way… I think that's how a teacher described me once. Glad you loved everything in my fic.

**Akanan:** Yes Raven is going to turn Terra, but something different is going to happen to Robin in chapter 9.

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH:** Hope you liked Raven feeding in this chapter, I wouldn't have put it in if it wasn't for you. As for Robin and Raven going on a "date", Robin, Raven and Terra will all be going out together in a future chapter (I'm still not sure which one yet though).

**-TheAzrathian-:** A lot of people liked my little Terra crack, I'll have to remember to do more of them.

**leader:** Okay you gave me two big reviews, so bare with me while I try to answer all your questions. The relationship will start soon, probably chapter 10 or 11. Yes the group Robin was a part of was Young Justice, I probably won't mention them by name but some of them might appear in later chapters. Terra's reaction to Robin seemed real when I wrote it and I didn't get any complaints. No the shadow man wasn't Brother Blood, but he is connected to him, like he is/was in the comics. If you find out who gave Psimon his powers in the comics you'll know who he is. I actually really liked the Batman movie, it's just that in the Titans world no one know who Batman is or what he can do so I just blended his film with Spider-Man's (which I also liked). I have a few ideas of Batman heroes and villains coming in, I'm just not sure where or how to do it yet. As for the title, yes Blood is for Raven and Earth for Terra, as for Shade, that's part of what happens to Robin instead of becoming a vampire, after that happens he starts showing his darker side more, that'll be in chapter 9.

**ActChick13:** Deffedently? Is that a good thing?

**Surfer Tsunamiya:** Robin won't become a vampire, but after chapter 9 you will be just as long lasting, even if he doesn't like what he's become.

**Midori Aoi:** I probably won't use all of the information you've given me, but most of the description will be. Either chapter 10 or 11 and you'll have your first cameo.

**Arentai:** My writing flow is a lot like the tide. Sometimes it's in, sometimes it's out. Other times it's a tidal wave that completely wipes out my idea village. Thanks for reading.

**Crzy Grl:** Of course Rob/Rae/Terra is better than Rob/Rae/Star, for one thing in those triangles they don't all get it on. Thanks again for BETAing this chapter for me.

**Maiden of the Saddened Heart:** If you're getting bored then look for the Raven/Terra make out scene in the next chapter. Lesbianism is never boring.

**New-Titan:** Robin's background was intentionally fudged to fit my own twisted ideas. There was a bit of vampire stuff in this chapter and there will be a fight with another vampire once the relationship is under way. I do have an idea involving werewolves that I probably won't do for a while yet. But it is good if I do say so myself, it's certainly original.


	8. It's How You Play the Game

**Author's Notes:** This chapter was incredibly hard to write. Not only because of my insanely hectic work schedule and all the action scenes (probably more than there should have been really), but I also had to write the girls talking to each other. I don't know how girls talk to each other. I'm not even sure how to talk to girls myself. I met my last two girlfriends when I've woke up next to them the morning after getting blind drunk. So I'd like to apologise for anything I've done wrong in advance.

Many of you have commented on the fact that Dick Grayson was the first Robin (and therefore the one in the TV show) and that mine is Tim Drake instead. This was done for 3 reasons:

1) When I first started reading comics Tim Drake was already Robin. I have seen him in action and know a lot about his personality as the Boy Wonder.

2) Again when I started reading comics Dick Grayson was Nightwing. And thought he is incredibly cool, he seems to playful for the Robin I wanted to do.

3) The final reason is that, along with the slightly gay shorts, pixie boots and the old Batman TV programme (which I watched purely for the comedic value), means that I could never take Dick Grayson seriously as Robin. I never had that problem with Batman though, because in my eyes it wasn't Batman on the TV show, it was Adam West in a Batman costume.

Here are the Titans ages, just so everybody knows:

Robin: 17

Raven: 17

Terra: 16 (soon to be 17)

Starfire: 16

Cyborg: 19

Beast Boy: 16

Wildebeest: 4

Every other teen in this fic is between 16 and 18, just so no one can say they are to young to be up to any shenanigans.

The Tournament of Heroines takes place in this chapter (something I believe is another cliché but I can't be sure of). Now I haven't seen that episode yet, but from what I know, at the end, after the boys leave, the girls are summoned and it fades to black. This didn't make any sense to me, if only because you don't find out what happened next. So as far as my time line is concerned, the Master of Games waited a couple of months to get his shit together before he summoned the girls. The boys decided to keep what happened to themselves as they knew Raven would mock them for being so stupid. And nobody likes that.

And on a personal note: OH MY GOD! SHINIGAMI-VIRUS READ MY FIC! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! One of my favourite authors read my little attempt at Fanfiction. If you haven't read his brilliant Rob/Rae vampire fic, The Houkounin Sagas, go do it now. Seriously. Don't bother with mine until you've read his. Then after you have sent him a million reviews telling him how great it is you can come back and read mine. GO NOW!

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Beta'd By:** Daybreak25 (the writer of a thousand fanfics)

**Chapter Eight:** It's How You Play the Game

* * *

The past twenty four hours had been anything but pleasant for the Teen Titans. Early on Friday morning Mumbo Jumbo had broken out of prison and, instead of going into hiding, decided to go on another crime spree. After spending most of the day dodging all the mail boxes, street lamps and cars he had bewitched to life, the Titans had managed to catch up to the twisted mage.

Because all of his spells reversed themselves after his wand was broken, and therefore all the evidence of his crimes disappeared, the Titans had to find a way to capture him whilst he was still blue. Thankfully Raven had discovered a curse to bind him without disrupting his spells. After a quick battle, Raven managed to cast her hex, but not before Mumbo shot one of his own at the Titans. Raven was able to block it from herself and Terra and Robin managed to dodge the spell with a quick aerobatic display. The other Titans weren't so lucky. Thankfully the spell wasn't harmful. Although being transformed into the opposite gender would no doubt leave psychological scars for years to come.

Mumbo laughed all the way to jail.

Early the following morning and Raven had just found the spell that would reverse Mumbo's transgender magic. The Titans all waited in the Ops Room while Raven mentally prepared. She floated in the middle of the room, meditating peacefully. Terra sat cross legged on the kitchen counter eating a bowl of her favourite cereal and Robin stood in the doorway watching over everything.

Starfire looked very different as a male, her hair was shorter than Robin's was and her facial features were a lot more masculine, she even had a slight five o'clock shadow. Her body was as muscular as Aqua Lad's was and she now wore sweatpants as her skirt was inappropriate. She floated about anxiously waiting for Raven to change her back. Aqua Lad looked like a movie star, his hair was slightly longer, his breasts were full and voluptuous and his body was slim and elegant. He stood next to the counter patiently watching, his regular uniform hugging his form. Cyborg now had long, braided hair that was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. His cybernetic parts were more feminine and streamlined, he even had breasts, which he soon found out opened up to reveal rocket launchers. He sat at the dinning table fidgeting, not sure how he was supposed to be sitting. Beast Boy paced about the room impatiently, his hair was shoulder length, his breasts were average size and he was only slightly slimmer and more feminine then he normally was.

"How much longer are you going to be Raven?" Beast Boy asked in a high feminine voice.

"Patience is a virtue, Beast Girl," Raven said, trying not to smirk at Beast Boy's girly voice.

"I've been patient enough," Beast Boy growled, choosing to ignore the name calling until he was back to normal, "I'm finding it very hard to figure out what the hell is going on with my body and its new hormones, we haven't had any breakfast yet and I hardly got any sleep last night… But that's mostly because my breasts were keeping me awake."

"I would have thought you'd be happier now BG," Terra smirked after finishing a mouthful of cereal, "you have a lot more chance of pulling a girl now than you ever did before."

Beast Boy glared at Terra before smirking himself, "we ran out of milk last night by the way. So Cyborg had the idea that I should change into a cow and… top us up shall we say. How's your breakfast taste?"

Terra sat frozen with her spoon halfway to her open mouth. She stared down at her half eaten bowl of cereal with a look of horror, the colour draining from her face. Pushing her bowl down the counter, Terra ran from the room clutching her mouth.

"Okay, I'm ready now," Raven said as she floated the open book to her lap. She read the words written in an ancient language as mystical energy began to swirl around her body. As the energy increased in speed Raven pointed her hand at each changed Titan, zapping them with the magical power. The energy covered them completely for a few seconds before quickly dissipating, leaving the Titans back to their original genders.

Raven floated back onto her feet and took the book from the air, clutching it to her chest, "everything's as it should be now."

"Good job Raven," Robin said solemnly from the doorway, "I'm going to have a shower and get changed before breakfast." He turned and exited the room without another word.

"Okay, now despite the fact that a second ago I was a chick, that was just plain weird," Cyborg said as he stood up.

"What was weird?" Beast Boy asked as he padded himself down to make sure everything was back to normal.

"Robin didn't give us his usual "you've-made-a-mistake-but-you-can-learn-from-that" pep-talk that he always gives after we screw up," Cyborg said as he moved into the kitchen and started making breakfast for everyone.

"Oh yeah," Beast Boy said with a frown, "the speech that's usually followed by about five hours of intense training and going over all the abilities of every single criminal we've ever faced. Why do you think he didn't do it this time?"

"Perhaps friend-Robin feels that this time our mishap does not need vocalizing," Starfire said as she continued to float about, "and that we got our "just desert" by spending the twilight hours as the opposite gender."

"That's "just desserts" Star," Cyborg corrected, "and I doubt it. No that spell Mumbo hit us with could have done some serious damage if he wasn't such a goofball. And we all know how paranoid Robin can be about that kind of thing. Something must be wrong."

"I'm sure it's nothing Cyborg," Raven said as she sat down at the dinning table, "Robin is probably just focused on something else at the moment. He knows you will all be more careful in the future." Though she said it, Raven didn't believe it. Even though she couldn't sense Robin's emotions she could tell something was troubling him.

"Dude, he just needs to get a girlfriend," Beast Boy said with a shrug, "or hell, he just needs to get laid."

"You know, I don't think I've seen him with a girl in all the time I've been here," Aqua Lad said as he started to help Cyborg with breakfast, "hell, I never even heard him mention being with a girl."

"Dude, I've NEVER seen him with a girl," Beast Boy said with a thoughtful look, "and I've NEVER heard him mention one, and that's in almost two years of knowing him. The guy's like a monk. You know, one of those bald, kung-fu ones. All work and no play makes Robin sexually frustrated."

"Maybe he just doesn't feel the need to advertise it like you do grass stain," Cyborg said while flipping waffles, "he does go out on his own a lot. Maybe he meets up with girls when we aren't around and just doesn't feel comfortable talking about it."

"Or maybe friend-Robin is just waiting for the right mate to come along," Starfire said. No one noticed the dreamy look appear on Raven's face.

"Well, I've certainly spent enough of my Saturday morning talking about the Boy Wonder and his lack of sex drive," Beast Boy said as he moved towards the door, "I'm bursting for the toilet. I quite frankly wasn't brave enough to try it as a girl."

"I too must wash up and change into my usual attire," Starfire said as she floated out of the room, moving passed Terra who came in and sat next to Raven.

"Did I miss Robin's speech?" Terra asked, "Which one was it? The "you-can-improve-yourselves one" or the "you-can't-fight-crime-without-your-limbs one"?"

"He didn't give a speech," Raven said with a frown.

"Wow, really?" Terra asked in a worried tone, "something must be wrong. Oh, we should go and see if he's alright."

"You know how he is Terra," Raven said, shaking her head, "if something is bothering him he won't talk about it, if anything he'll want to sort it out on his own. He probably just wants some space."

"Oh come on," Terra said, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"You're not going to stop nagging me until you get your way are you?" Raven asked. Terra just smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. Raven let out a defeated sigh, "come on then let's go."

The girls left the Ops Room and quickly made their way to Robin's bedroom. Terra knocked twice. With no response she was about to knock again when the door opened to reveal Robin, dripping wet with only a towel wrapped around his waist and his mask on. Both girls were stunned to silence. Terra stared in awe at Robin's muscles and the various scars covering his body. Raven couldn't stop thinking about how she wanted to pull that towel away so she could see the rest of him. Both girls momentarily wondered if he showered with his mask on.

"Did you want anything in particular or did you just come for a look?" Robin asked after a minute of waiting for them to talk.

"We, err… we just wanted to see if-if everything was okay," Raven said, recovering first.

"Yeah, you didn't give the others one of your usual "how-not-to-be-a-screw-up" speeches," Terra said with a half laugh, "seriously though, is anything the matter?"

Robin looked from one Titan to another before walking back into his room, "come in then and sit down."

Though Raven was a little apprehensive, seeing Terra almost hypnotically walk in, staring at the muscles and bullet wounds on Robin's back, she soon followed.

After being in the chaos of Robin's evidence room, his bedroom surprised Raven. Everything was in order. The bed was made, books were filed alphabetically on the shelf, the floor and desk were free of clutter, there was even sunlight pouring in through the large windows. If she didn't know any better she would have thought this was the first time anyone had been in the room. Seeing how much training and research Robin did, Raven doubted he spent more than a couple of hours in here each day.

Raven and Terra sat on the end of Robin's bed, watching him as he stood staring out of his window, looking across the bay. Just as it looked like he wasn't about to say anything Robin spoke up.

"I… learned something the other day," he said, leaning his head against the window, "something about me."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked in a slightly worried voice, "you're not… you're not dying are you?"

"Nothing that bad. No, it's just…" Robin let out a heavy sigh before he turned towards the girls, "what are your mothers like?"

This unexpected question stunned both girls.

"Erm… why-why do you want to know?" Terra asked, recovering first.

Robin leaned back against the window and looked up at the ceiling before answering, "I found out who my birth parents are the other day."

"Oh…" Raven said uncertainly, not sure if this was good news or not, "are they not… nice?"

"Nice? No. Homicidal sociopaths? Yes."

"Oh my god," Terra said, not sure what she was meant to say, "Are they… are they super villains or something?"

Robin looked like he was about to say something for a second, before he shook his head, "That… isn't important right now."

"Are you okay Robin?" Raven asked. Without the psychic-blockers in his costume she didn't sense the usual blank spot she did when she used her empathy on Robin. It was more of an emotional emptiness, like he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling.

"It's just… I'm not sure how much of who I am is from the way I was raised, and how much I get from… them. Nature verses nurture and all that."

"Just because your parents are evil doesn't necessarily mean you are," Raven said reassuringly, "my father is a demonic monster; it doesn't mean I am does it?"

"And while my father isn't as evil as hers, he's not exactly Superman either," Terra said with a smile.

"But at least you have mothers that are decent," Robin said, finally looking at both girls, "My family tree is fertilised with the bodies of others."

"They can't be that bad surely," Terra said, reassuringly, "maybe they aren't as terrible as you think they are."

Robin turned to Terra with a deadly serious expression, "my mother travels the world finding the best martial artists she can and then beats them to death with her bare hands… my father is even worse."

"Oh…" Terra said, turning away from Robin's gaze.

"Robin you're nothing like them," Raven said, trying to sound reassuring, "you're a hero. You've saved hundreds of peoples lives and you've never killed anyone have you?"

Robin didn't respond as he turned to look out the window.

"Have you?"

"No Raven I haven't," Robin said, still not looking at either girl, "but I've come close. Very close. And who knows what might happen in the future. I'm not a boy scout at the best of times."

Robin's words left an uncomfortable silence in the room. Neither Raven nor Terra knew how to respond to his statement.

"Okay," Robin said, facing the girls again, "I think I've depressed you both enough for now and I don't mean to be inhospitable, but I have to get in touch with someone for a bit of information and I need to get dressed before I call. So, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Oh… yeah, of course," Raven said, as both girls got up and made their way out into the hall way.

Robin followed them to the door, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to the others."

"Sure Robin, we…" Raven's words were cut off by Robin's door closing. Both girls made their way down the hall towards their own bedrooms.

"Huh… you know, I never really thought about how much my mother means to me," Terra said, almost to herself, "she could be a little strict at times, but at least there was no chance of her beating the crap out of me. Do you think Robin's going to be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Raven said as they stopped outside their bedroom doors, "maybe not right away but Robin is strong, he'll get through this."

"I guess you're right," Terra said, moving to her door, "well I'm going to go wash up; I'll meet you back in the Ops Room."

Raven nodded as she moved to her own door. She never made it though. Both girls vanished from the tower in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

Raven and Terra materialised inside a strange building. The domed, stained glass ceiling was at least a hundred feet high, the walls and floors seemed to be made of solid gold, and a number of pillars were placed around the room. There were no doors into this room save for the one leading from the balcony fifty feet above them.

Raven and Terra quickly noticed that they weren't alone. Six other girls, all of them roughly the same age as them and also wearing costumes, stood around them with the same look of confusion.

"Welcome champions!"

The girls all looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. They soon spotted the figure up on the high balcony. A large powerfully built humanoid male smiled down at them, his ears were pointed and he was covered in white fur, except for exposed skin on his face and chest which was grey and his scalp had short black stubble. He had golden bands on his biceps, wrists and shins; he wore a loincloth-like garment similar to that worn by Roman soldiers. He had a gold belt and necklace with a large red jewel.

"I am the Master of Games," he said in a deep, booming voice, "and you are hereby invited to compete in the Tournament of Heroines!"

The jewel around his neck flashed momentarily and a large, rotating holographic image of the Master's head appeared above the girls.

"The Tournament is a friendly competition between the world's greatest young champions," the image said with the Master's voice, "a true test of your vast and varied abilities."

The hologram quickly faded and was replaced with the image of Raven, floating in the lotus position.

"Raven: The gothic empath with the supreme power of her soul self."

The image of Raven flickered to Bumblebee, flying through the air, firing her blasters.

"Bumblebee: The techno genius with an attitude to match."

Another flicker and the form of Terra, flying about on a chunk of earth, appeared.

"Terra: The geomancer with the world at her finger tips, literally."

The image changed to another girl. She had blonde shoulder length hair and a full, very well developed figure. Her mask covered her forehead as well as her eyes and her gloves were red. Her top was blue and skin tight, with three white stars running up each arm and one large one on her chest, it was cut short and showed off her stomach. Her blue shorts were also tight with white stripes running up the sides. Her belt was red with a large circular buckle and her boots were mid-calf army style. She carried a large golden staff with a sharp, pointed hook on the end.

"Stargirl: The wielder of the powerful Cosmic Rod."

The hologram shifted to another girl. She had long black hair and deep blue eyes, and though her body was well developed, it was more like the body of a gymnast. Her red top was tight, sleeveless and showed of her toned stomach, with double golden W's across the chest. Her pants hugged her hips and her black boots were knee length. She wore silver bracelets and a golden lasso hung from her hip.

"Wonder Girl: An Amazon warrior and emissary of peace."

The image of Jinx appeared above them now, showing off some of her back flips.

"Jinx: A gymnastic sorceress with a dark side."

Starfire's hologram was of her flying through the air with her ever present smile.

"Starfire: An alien princess with a warrior's soul."

The final hologram was of Kole, sitting on the ground with little pieces of crystal flying about her in geometric patterns.

"And last but by no means least, Kole: A weaver of fantastic crystal constructs," the hologram flickered back to the Master's head, "eight brave and worthy champions, but only one shall win."

"What is the meaning of this abduction?" asked Starfire, flying up until she was level with the Master.

"Please forgive me," the Master said humbly, bowing deeply, "I wished to invite you all to partake in the Tournament, but I had no other way of contacting you besides bringing you directly here. The Tournament takes place over the next twenty-four hours, where you will be paired off against each other in three rounds of combat; those that lose each round will be sent home immediately. Don't worry about your time spent here though, while a whole day will pass in this dimension, only an hour will pass on earth. Of course you don't have to participate if you do not wish too, and are free to go home any time you like… Although you would forfeit your right to any of the prizes."

"Prizes?" asked Bumblebee, flying up next to Starfire, "what kind of prizes?"

The smile on the Master's face was closer to a smirk, "prizes beyond your wildest dreams. All of them up for grabs, unless of course any of you would like to go home?" The Master looked at each girl in turn, none of them made a move, "very well then. The Tournament will begin in a few minutes, please take the time to meet your fellow champions or to ready yourself for the battle ahead of you."

The hologram faded as the Master walked out of sight. Both Starfire and Bumblebee floated back to ground level, at which point Starfire began hopping about the room, greeting the other girls with smiles and hugs.

"Something about this doesn't feel right," Raven said, looking intently at the balcony where the Master was previously standing.

"Why didn't you say anything then?" Terra asked, watching Starfire pull one of the other girls into a bone crushing hug.

"If this "Master of Games" is up to something, then we can't stop him if we aren't here. Besides, there's no guarantee that instead of being teleported home he wouldn't just send us to the bottom of the ocean or something."

"You're just being paranoid," Terra said with a shrug, "maybe he just wants to see a bunch of young girls wrestling with each other. I know I would."

Raven rolled her eyes, "you just want to get your hands on those prizes."

"That's true," Terra said, with a cheeky smile, "plus, when else would we get the chance to spank other heroes without being a bad guy."

"I know I've always enjoyed spanking heroes," said a voice from behind them.

Raven and Terra turned round sharply to find Jinx standing there with a smile on her face.

"What are you even doing here?" Terra asked with a frown, "you're not even a hero."

"But I'm not exactly a villain any more either," Jinx said with a bigger smile, "I've paid my debt to society. My record is cleaner Superman's"

"That doesn't matter to the Titans," Raven said, her frown matching Terra's, "not after what you did to our Tower."

"Not all the Titans feel that way," Jinx said with a knowing smile.

"Just because Cyborg tries to talk you out of committing crimes…" Terra said.

"…and because Beast Boy constantly tries to hit on you…" Raven continued.

"…and because Robin had wild, passionate sex with me…" Jinx said with a smirk.

"…doesn't mean that any of us…" Terra stopped mid-sentence as Jinx's words sank in, "WHAT?"

"You mean he didn't tell you about the club and our night of passion?" Jinx said, smirking at Terra's shocked expression, "I guess he really doesn't kiss and tell after all."

"WHAT?" Terra asked again, still not believing what she heard.

Jinx had to admit, if only to herself, that she felt a certain thrill from Terra's continued reaction to her revelation. Jinx secretly loved pushing people's buttons but she never got much of a chance in the HIVE. After all it was never a good idea to antagonize super powered sociopaths. Superheroes however were fair game.

"It was a wonderful evening," Jinx said, a dreamy look spreading across her face, "he touched me in places a Rampant Rabbit couldn't even reach. He had me moaning like a catholic school girl."

"You're lying," Terra said with conviction, "you have to be lying, she's lying isn't she Raven."

"No she isn't Terra," Raven said, her voice monotone and her face devoid of any emotion, "from what I can sense she most certainly did sleep with Robin."

"Though I wouldn't exactly say "sleep with"," Jinx smiled innocently, "it was more like lustful fucking. I'm telling you, I could barely move afterwards, but in a good way you know."

"Why would Robin have… sex… with someone like you?" Terra asked through clenched teeth, trying to contain her anger, "he's a hero and you're a villain."

"Apparently I'm not the first villain he's had sex with," Jinx said with the same innocent smile and a shrug, "maybe he just thinks blondes… sorry, I mean heroines, are too boring."

Terra finally snapped. Her hands were reaching for Jinx's throat when black energy surrounded her body. Raven pulled her fellow Titan back, dragging her away from her quarry. She ignored Jinx's laughter as she tried to calm Terra down.

"Terra you need to calm down. If you attack Jinx here the Master might send you away, and then we'll never find out if he is up to something."

"I know, I know," Terra said, clenching and unclenching her fists and breathing heavily, "it's just… urgh… it bothers me that Robin fucked HER. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Not particularly," Raven said with a shrug, "Robin is a healthy, good looking young man. He's bound to have had his fair share of sexual conquests. I'll admit I never expected Jinx to be among them but I can see why. She is a highly attractive, highly sexual girl."

"Oh, so you think she's attractive do you?" Terra asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Raven raised a suspicious eyebrow, "and I suppose you don't?"

Terra opened her mouth as though she was going to respond, but quickly closed it. "I thought we were talking about Robin."

Terra was saved from any of Raven's snide comments by the Master's voice sounding throughout the room, "Ladies, prepare yourselves. And let the games begin."

The girls all vanished from the room in another flash of light.

* * *

_Raven vs. Stargirl_

Raven appeared in a large open arena. The floor was covered in, or possibly made of, soft soil. A number of large rocks and boulders were dotted about the area, no doubt to be used as cover or possibly as projectiles for the champions. Standing across from her was Stargirl, her Cosmic Rod resting on her shoulders.

Raven didn't let the disappointment show on her face. She had hoped she would be paired against Jinx. Though she wouldn't admit it to Terra, she was a little jealous that Jinx had gotten to bed Robin before she had. She had been entertaining the fantasy that she would be his first, just like he would be the first man she would be with. Just like in the romantic novels no one knew she read and romantic teen comedies she pretended she didn't like. Though she had to admit she was more than a little relieved to know that he liked dark girls.

"Wow, you're Raven," Stargirl said, her eyes lighting up, "I'm a big fan, huge fan, of you and all the Titans. I have to say it's, like, an honour to face you in this Tournament."

"Err… thank you, I guess."

"Let the contest begin," said the Master's voice, filling the entire room.

"I suppose we better get started then," Stargirl said, sounding almost disappointed.

In an instant her Cosmic Rod was pointed at Raven, firing volley after volley of energy blasts at the empath in quick succession.

Raven's vampire reflexes were the only thing that saved her. She dove to the side, rolling to her knees and activating a dark shield, all in a split second. Though the shield was powerful, with the amount of hits it was taking it would soon give out. Reaching out with her soul-self, Raven launched a boulder at her attacker.

Stargirl blasted the rock almost on instinct, turning it to dust that quickly engulfed her body, obscuring her from view. Raven took the opportunity to take to the air. Her hand glowed in dark energy as she fired her own blasts into the cloud.

Raven floated in place, confident that her tactic had worked. Her confidence was shattered however as an energy blast from above narrowly avoided her head. She looked up to see Stargirl flying a couple of feet above her.

"Bet you weren't expecting that were you," Stargirl said smugly, levelling her rod at Raven.

Raven ignored the comment as she flew at her opponent; using all the skills she had learned from training with the Titans to dodge the energy blasts. Once she was close enough, Raven spun around in the air, kicking Stargirl in the stomach. The Cosmic Rod flew out of her hands as she plummeted to the ground, impacting with a loud thud.

Raven landed a couple of feet away from Stargirl, careful to keep her distance in case she tried to attack.

"You have lost your weapon," Raven said, moving slightly closer, "are you willing to surrender?"

"You wish," Stargirl said defiantly.

She pointed her hand at Raven as red, star shaped energy balls fired from her fingertips. Raven dodged a second too late, as the energy struck her right arm. A feeling of complete numbness spread throughout her arm, rendering it useless. In desperation she fired a couple of rocks at Stargirl, only to watch them get punched away as if they were balloons.

"Aren't I just full of surprises?" Stargirl smiled, as the Cosmic Rod flew from the ground into her out stretched hand.

Raven ignored her words and moved in close to Stargirl, grabbing to Rod with her still working hand. Raven had a lot more strength than people actually realised, probably more than the girl she was facing. Unfortunately, Stargirl still had use of both her hands, giving her the edge.

"I just want you to know how much fun this has been for me," Stargirl said, struggling against Raven's grip, "though I can see how me beating you is more fun on my end."

Raven resisted the urge to grind her teeth. She could never understand peoples need to talk so much during a fight. She remembered talking to Robin about it once. She also remembered what he said. "It's all about getting the other person angry, or even confused enough to distract them and make them let their guard down. Sometimes the enemy is so busy listening to what you have to say that they don't realise they've been beaten until they're face down in the dirt." This gave Raven an idea.

"You're right, this has been fun," she smirked, almost seductively at Stargirl, "are you as turned on by all this as I am?"

"WHAT?" Stargirl yelled in shock, leaning back from Raven.

This was the opening Raven had wanted. She kicked out, knocking the rod into the air and causing Stargirl to stumble back slightly. Raven caught the rod in her left hand, pointing it at Stargirl's feet and firing. Stargirl was knocked into the air from the blast, slamming into a boulder and falling to the floor unconscious.

Raven smiled slightly as Pride and Happy danced about in her head.

'I believe that is what Beast Boy would call a "cool move",' Knowledge said with a smile, 'unfortunate that no one was around to see it.'

Raven ignored Knowledge's comment, deciding to focus on Pride and Happy instead.

"The winner by knock out: Raven," said the Master's voice.

Both girls vanished from the arena in another flash of light.

* * *

_Jinx vs. Bumblebee_

The arena that Jinx materialised into was a lot like the dojo she practiced in at the HIVE. It was open planned with lots of space to move about; the floor was hard wood and polished to the point that you'd have to have a death wish to walk across it in your socks. The walls seemed to be made of paper but were actually quite solid with a number of sliding doors throughout them. The ceiling was high and porcelain white with small lamps spaced out evenly across it to light up the whole area.

As Jinx looked at her opponent and was more than happy to see it was someone she knew, "I guess I'm not the only reprobate here after all."

"Jinx?" Bumblebee said with a smile, pulling her into a friendly hug, "Damn girl, it's so good to see you."

The HIVE didn't have as many girls as it did boys, as such Jinx and Bumblebee became fast friends. They did everything together. Training, studying, shopping, discussing boys and breaking each other out of jail. Bumblebee was one of a handful of people Jinx genuinely missed from the HIVE.

"So where have you been for the past couple of months Pink?" Bumblebee asked, frowning playfully at her friend, "no one at the HIVE knew if you were dead or alive after the Government took you away. Why didn't you get in touch and let me know you were still breathing?"

"I'm sorry Queen Bee I just… well I…" Jinx said apprehensively before letting out a sigh, "I'm giving up on the whole villainess thing. I've decided to go straight. I just… wasn't sure how to tell you."

Bumblebee looked shocked for a moment, before she burst out laughing, clutching her sides and doubling over.

"What the hell's so funny?" Jinx asked, frowning, "you don't think I can be a good guy?"

"No, it's not that," Bumblebee said, wiping away a stray tear.

"Then what?" Jinx asked, starting to get angry.

"Girl, I'm a good guy too," Bumblebee said with a laugh, "I've been working undercover at the HIVE to try and bring it down. The only reason I didn't bust it open a long time ago was because of you."

Jinx looked even more shocked than Bumblebee had, before she joined in the laughter.

"That is pretty funny," Jinx laughed, "so… any gossip from the HIVE? You got yourself a boyfriend yet?"

"There isn't much point in me getting a boyfriend if I'm planning to take the place down," Bumblebee said, rolling her eyes, "as for gossip… not much has happened since you left. Mammoth seems to think he's in charge of the seniors now that you aren't there. Gizmo has been amazingly quiet; I think he might actually miss you. See-More did try and look through my top yesterday, so I broke his arm in three places." Bumblebee paused while Jinx laughed, "what about you though? Has any lucky guy been in your life lately?"

"Well," Jinx said with a slight blush. Talking to Bumblebee about her sex life was different than talking about it with Terra. She actually cared what Bumblebee thought. "About two weeks ago I had sex with… Robin."

"Robin…?" Bumblebee asked, clearly confused. Suddenly her eyes lit up with recognition, "Robin the Teen Titan? Oh my god! I need details. How did it happen? Where did it happen? Was he any good?"

Jinx smiled to herself, she had missed her friend more than she realised.

The girls didn't get the chance to continue their conversation however, as the Master's voice interrupted them, "let the contest begin."

"I guess I'll have to hear all the ins and outs later," Bumblebee said with a sigh, "we'll have to meet up for lunch or something back on earth. Unless of course I'm too busy enjoying my prizes."

"You wish Queen Bee," Jinx said with a smirk, "you could never beat me when we trained together at the HIVE."

"I have to be honest with you Pink," Bumblebee said with an even larger smirk, "I was holding back."

Bumblebee's wings buzzed to life as they lifted her off the ground. Her Stingers were drawn in an instant and she was firing even quicker. Jinx started back flipping across the room, easily dodging the blasts.

As Jinx reached the end of the room she planted both her feet on the wall and pushed off high into the air. She somersaulted through the air a couple of times, her hands glowing with pink energy which she fired at Bumblebee's weapons, causing them to jam.

In the split second that Bumblebee took to look at her Stingers, Jinx's foot connected with her chest, knocking her to the ground. Before she had a chance to move, strands of pink magic encircled her body, binding her to the floor.

"The winner my incapacitation: Jinx," said the Master's voice.

"I have to be honest with you Queen Bee," Jinx smiled as the light started to envelope them, "I was holding back too."

* * *

_Starfire vs. Wonder Girl_

The third arena was like a cross between an ancient Greek temple and an extravagant palace. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was made of marble. A number of archways ran along each wall, though none of them seemed to go anywhere. Pillars stood in odd places all over the room, most likely to be used as cover for the champions.

Starfire and Wonder Girl stood across from each other. Starfire was more than a little apprehensive while Wonder Girl just smiled calmly.

"I… I do not wish to fight you friend-Wonder Girl," Starfire said, rubbing her left arm nervously.

Wonder Girl smiled kindly at the alien princess, "I have read about your people in the Justice League files, Starfire. Like my people, you are all warriors. Do not think of this as a simple fight. Think of it as a challenge between new friends. A battle to prove the honour of our people to each other."

Starfire nodded in agreement, moments before the Master called for the challenge to begin, "then for honour and friendship, I will make this quick."

In an instant, Starfire was twenty feet in the air. She fired a volley of starbolts down at Wonder Girl causing dust to rise up and obscure her from view. Starfire charged one large bolt with both hands and threw it into the centre of the cloud causing even more dust to form. Starfire smiled confidently, certain of her victory.

"You'll have to do better than that."

Before Starfire could wonder how she had survived, Wonder Girl flew up out of the centre of the cloud, her fist impacting with the aliens jaw. Her Tamaranean physiology meant that Starfire wasn't usually affected by normal human punches. But she certainly felt that one.

Starfire tried to throw her own punch at the Amazonian. This proved to be a mistake. Wonder Girl deflected the hit easily, slamming her knee into Starfire's stomach and ramming her elbow to the base of the alien's skull. Starfire dropped to the floor below.

She got shakily back onto her feet, looking up to see Wonder Girl standing in front of her. She vainly attempted to punch her again, only to be flipped across the room, slamming into a pillar.

She got back to her feet, wobbling slightly as her vision blurred, lighting her raised fist with a starbolt. Wonder Girl took off her lasso, throwing one end at the alien. It sailed over Starfire's shoulder, rapping around the pillar behind her.

"You… have missed, friend… Wonder Girl," Starfire smiled almost smugly.

Wonder Girl just smiled as she pulled on her lasso. A chunk of the pillar it was attached to came free, impacting with the back of Starfire's head, knocking her out.

"The winner by knock out: Wonder Girl."

Wonder Girl smiled fondly at the unconscious alien, "until we meet again Starfire. I look forward to the rematch."

* * *

_Terra vs. Kole_

A large boulder sprung out of the ground just in time to protect Terra from the crystal shards that were flying towards her body.

The fight wasn't going as well as Terra would have liked, she and Kole were just too evenly matched power wise. And the arena they were in, a large underground cave with plenty of boulders and crystal formations, was perfect for both there abilities. The fight could very well go on for hours. Terra smiled though. This just meant she would have to use the moves that Robin had taught her.

Robin had always said that most super villains, and superheroes for that matter, relied too much on their powers. If they were ever without their abilities they wouldn't be able to fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Terra just hoped Kole was one of those heroes.

She quickly focused her powers on using one of the tricks she had mastered from working with Raven. Large pieces of rocks broke away from the surrounding boulders and attached to Terra's body, covering her in a crude armour. The rocks in the arena weren't the strongest she had come across, and probably wouldn't stand up to gun fire, but they were more than enough to get her up close and personal to Kole.

Terra dashed out from behind her cover and charged towards her adversary. The rocky armour protected her from the shards of crystal Kole was firing. Her powers made the rocks as light as air, enabling her to use her acrobatic skills to avoid the larger crystal formations.

As Terra charged at her, a crystal wall formed in front of Kole. Terra smiled at the predictability. She jumped and flipped over the barrier, landing behind Kole. Terra slammed her stone covered fist into the base of Kole's skull before she had a chance to react, knocking her out.

Terra stared down at her fallen foe, barely listening to the Master's words. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she didn't get to tryout more of her moves. But Robin always said it was more important to get your opponent down than to dance about like some idiot in a kung fu movie. She couldn't wait to tell him about this. He'd be so proud.

* * *

Raven, Jinx, Wonder Girl and Terra reappeared back in the domed room. At the sound of his voice they all looked up to the Master's balcony.

"Congratulations, young champions. You have all passed Round One. Your opponents have all been returned home safely, though no doubt they will be nursing their bruises for some time to come. But think not of the vanquished, now is the time for rest. You will be transported to a room with a full buffet, complete with bedrooms down the adjacent hall. I must tell you that anyone who attempts to attack or sabotage a fellow opponent will be instantly disqualified and sent home. Please, eat, drink, and get some rest, for tomorrow morning you come face to face with Round Two."

The four girls were gone in another flash of light, appearing in a short corridor. There were four doors along the walls, two on either side, behind them was a dead end, but the other end of the corridor led to a large open room. Jinx and Wonder Girl entered the room eager for something to eat. Raven and Terra stayed back to talk in private.

"Do you still think the Master is up to something?" Terra asked in quiet tones.

"It's just a feeling I'm getting," Raven said, rubbing her right arm as the feeling came back, "I can just sense when others are up to no good, something I no doubt get from my father. I know when someone is under the influence of a sin. But because of the distance I'm just not sure which one it is. It could be nothing; it could be that he's just pleasuring himself watching girls knock each other about."

"How about we make a pact then?" Terra said thoughtfully.

"A pact?" Raven asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, if we both make it through the next round, we make a pact that we don't fight each other. If the Master lets us go with the prizes, then we know nothing was wrong. But if he gets angry with us then we know he's up to something and we can take him down."

"You're only saying that because you know you can't beat me," Raven smirked.

"You know, you're such a smug cow when no one else is around," Terra said, sticking her tongue out at Raven and walking into the main room.

The room was large and circular with a floor, walls and ceiling that were all golden. A large, extravagant buffet curved along the wall at the far end of the room. A single, round table stood in the centre of the room, both Jinx and Wonder Girl were already seated, enjoying their meals and talking.

Raven directed Terra towards the buffet, hoping to delay any sort of confrontation between her and Jinx. They got their treys and plates, getting themselves a quick meal and some drinks. Raven was especially happy to find her favourite herbal tea on offer. They sat down at the table, Terra sitting across from Jinx and glaring at her.

"Are you going to give me the evil eye all night?" Jinx asked, rolling her eyes once she noticed the geomancer staring, "I'm sorry about before okay? I was just trying to push your buttons earlier. I didn't realise it would upset you this much. No hard feelings?"

Terra didn't say anything, not until Raven gave her a nudge in the ribs, "yeah, yeah okay. And for the record I wasn't angry. Just surprised. I never expected Robin to have sex with a villain."

"I'm not a villain anymore," Jinx said with a frown.

"Wait a minute," said Wonder Girl, turning to Jinx, "you had sex with Robin? Robin, the Boy Wonder, Robin?"

"Yeah," Jinx sighed with a dreamy expression.

"Oh my goddess," Wonder Girl said, scooting her chair a little closer to Jinx, "does he still do that amazing thing when he's going down on you and then touches all the pleasure points on your body that makes you tingle all over?"

"Wait, you slept with Robin too?" Terra asked.

"Yeah," Wonder Girl sighed with a dreamy expression.

"Why? Does it matter?" Jinx asked with a suspicious look.

"No. It's… it's just a surprise. I mean, well…" Terra paused apprehensively, "I just always thought Robin was a virgin."

Raven, Terra and Jinx jumped in shock as Wonder Girl suddenly burst out laughing.

"Robin? A virgin?" Wonder Girl said through bursts of laughter. She calmed down before she continued, "I admit I though that when I first met him too, but only because he spends most of his time training or patrolling. But according to him his first time was when he was thirteen."

"THIRTEEN?" Terra practically yelled in shock.

"Wow, he's quite the little stud isn't he," Jinx said with a smirk.

"And he… told you this?" Raven asked, a little hurt that Robin had never been so open with her.

"You'd be surprised how open he is after you have sex with him," Wonder Girl said.

"When did you even meet Robin?" Terra asked, her shock being overwritten by her curiosity.

"Well, I first met Robin about four years ago," Wonder Girl said, "I joined the team called Young Justice he had started with some other teen heroes. We had our base in a deserted resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains, which was great as we got our pick of the rooms and use of the sauna. When I first met Robin I have to say I wasn't that impressed. He was just this little human with a bunch of expensive toys. But then I saw him in action. He could crack skulls and dislocate bones with incredible speed. He pulled of moves I had never even heard off before. Needless to say I saw him in a different light after that.

"Our team wasn't like your Titans, we usually only met on the weekends or if there was an emergency. That was because most of the members had school during the week. Anyway one particular weekend it was just the two of us there as the others either had family issues to deal with or were helping their mentors. We spent our time in the gym training with each other and, well, one thing led to another…

"We must have moved through most of the rooms in the place. The gym, the game room, the kitchen. It wasn't until we got to the bedroom that we got really wild though. In the morning I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't expect anything, but growing up on an island full of women I wasn't sure how he would respond. I wasn't sure if he'd want to be my boyfriend or if he'd just treat me as some one night stand. Neither seemed particularly appealing to me.

"In fact he didn't do either of these. He never asked me for anything, and he was a lot friendlier and more open then he was before. We've kept in touch since our team disbanded, he gives me a call once a week to see if I'm okay and I still get birthday and Christmas presents but that's about it. Can I ask you two something? Does he spend most of his time training or doing research?"

"Yeah pretty much," Terra admitted.

"He used to do that when our team first started," Wonder Girl said with a fond smile, "but after we had sex I got him to open up a bit more with the others too. He'd spend some of his free time watching movies with us instead of training. He'd go out to clubs with the guys. He'd even stop whatever he was working when we talked to him."

"I noticed he does that," Terra said with a frown, "he'll listen to you, but he'll still be fiddling with a gadget or typing on his computer."

"He's told me all about you guys of course," Wonder Girl said with a smile.

"He has?" Raven kept her voice calm, but couldn't help but wonder how much Robin had revealed.

"Yeah, the Teen Titans. He says you guys do a lot of good."

"Damn," Jinx said with a playful frown, "I was hoping he had told you some of their dirty little secrets."

"Oh Robin would never do that," Wonder girl said, "he'll never tell you personal details about someone and he'll never tell you who he's had sex with. Any of his stories would always be "I knew a guy who did this…" or "I knew a girl that did that…" never anything personal."

"He said that to me," Jinx said, "though his words were "I don't kiss and tell"."

"Did you ever…" Terra said, pausing to think of the right words, "did you ever think of asking him to be your boyfriend?"

"Once or twice," Wonder Girl said with a shrug, "but I decided against it. Robin isn't really boyfriend material."

"Why not?" Raven said, a bit more urgently that she intended.

"Well," Wonder Girl said thoughtfully, "he's definitely nice enough. He remembers everything so he wouldn't forget an anniversary. And if you asked him to he'd take you to a nice restaurant. The problem is you'd have to ask him. The majority of Robin's life is spent trying to end crime. That's not his fault it's all he's ever known. The rest of his time is spent researching and training. You'd have to ask him for every date. Ask him to cuddle. Ask him for romantic gifts. He just has too much going on in his life to think of anything else. I could be wrong of course; he could be the most romantic guy in the world. I just wasn't willing to find out. Though it might have been worth it for the sex."

"Amen sister," Jinx said with a smile.

"I… I think its time I went to bed," Terra said. Before any of the girls could say anything she got up and made her way towards the bedrooms. Raven quickly got up and followed her, leaving Jinx and Wonder Girl to discuss their experiences with Robin.

Raven caught up with Terra leaning against one of the far bedroom doors, "what's wrong Terra?"

Terra let out a heavy sigh before she answered, "It's just… those two. Talking about Robin and what they did with him."

"So you're feeling a little jealous then," Raven said.

"No…" Terra said without looking at Raven, "…well, maybe. It's just that Robin slept with Jinx after meeting her one night. He did it with Wonder Girl after some training session. And we've practically been throwing ourselves at him and nothing's happened. Maybe we just aren't doing whatever it is they did. Maybe we just aren't his type."

"You know that's not the case," Raven said with a frown, "I'm sure Robin knew that both of them were just after one-night stands. And he also knows that we both want more. He just needs more time to get himself sorted. Probably more so now that he's found out about his parents. We just need to be patient."

"…I guess you're right," Terra said with a small smile.

"Now come on," Raven said with a mischievous smile, taking Terra's hand, "I know how to cheer you up."

Raven pulled open the bedroom door, dragged Terra inside and locked the door behind her.

* * *

The following morning and the remaining champions were given a wake up call bright and early. And after a shower and a light breakfast they were teleported back to the domed chamber. The four girls stood about patiently waiting for the Master to arrive.

"So what did you to get up to after you left us?" Jinx asked Terra with a smirk.

"Nothing we didn't do anything why what's it to you?" Terra said fighting a blush.

"Oh nothing really," Jinx said with a smile, "you're just glowing is all. And there's only one way I know of that a girl glows like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Terra said turning away from Jinx to hide her blush.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Jinx said with a shrug, "it's always best to do it in the morning after you wake up, it "relieves tension"."

Terra's eyes widened as she began realise what Jinx was talking about, "I wasn't doing what you think I was doing, you pervert!"

"Hey everyone does it," Jinx said with a smile, "I do it twice a day, though it's never as much fun on your own. So how was yours?"

"Listen you bitch, I wasn't masturbating," Terra practically yelled, "and even if I was I certainly wouldn't discuss it with you."

"Masturbating?" Jinx said with an obviously fake surprised expression, "I was talking about having a shower. You have a filthy mind Terra."

Terra's face turned bright red as she realised Raven and Wonder Girl were staring at her, "I hate you so much Jinx."

Terra was saved from any further embarrassment as the Master appeared on his balcony, "it is time for the second round, ladies. The winners of this round will go on to battle each other for the title of Tournament Champion. Prepare yourselves champions and then we shall begin."

* * *

_Terra vs. Wonder Girl_

Terra and Wonder Girl materialized into the arena of Starfire's downfall.

"I have read your Justice League file Terra," Wonder Girl said with a warm smile, "I know you don't have any martial arts training, you will have no chance against me. I'll try to make this quick."

Wonder Girl shot across the room towards Terra with incredible speed. But Terra was ready for her. She narrowly avoided the punch aimed for her head, grabbed Wonder Girl's arm, and flipped her over her shoulder into one of the pillars.

Wonder Girl got up wearily and stared at Terra in shock, "well it seems that the Justice League needs to update their files. I guess I'll have to put all of my abilities into this fight. It's time I showed you how the Amazonians kick ass."

Terra gulped. Wonder Girl was obviously a better fighter than her, and she was definitely stronger than her. Terra would have to try another one of the tricks she had learned with Raven, though this one was far from perfect and always left her felling groggy. Taking a deep breath Terra sank into the ground, lucky avoiding a punch from Wonder Girl.

"You can not hide forever Terra," Wonder Girl said, looking around for the geomancer.

"Oh, I'm not hiding Wonder Girl. I'm winning."

Wonder Girl didn't have time to move as a large hand formed out of the ground around her. It grabbed her body and pulled her into the ground until only her head was visible. Wonder Girl struggled vainly to free herself, but the ground was just too thick.

Terra came out of the ground in front of her, wobbling slightly with a bright smile. She wiped away the drop of blood that was trickling out of her nostril. She definitely needed to practice that one more. She turned to Wonder Girl with a smug expression.

"And that's how the Titans kick ass."

* * *

_Raven vs. Jinx_

Jinx appeared in the arena where Stargirl was beaten with high expectations. Those expectations crumbled when she saw her opponent.

She had been hoping to face of against Terra, who she had gotten angry enough to fight without thinking. Even Wonder Girl would have been better as she had spent most of last night watching the Amazonian, looking for flaws that could be exploited in a fight.

Raven would be tougher than the both of them.

Jinx moved in close to Raven before she could do anything, surprising the dark Goth slightly as she grabbed her wrists. From what Jinx had learned at the HIVE, the trick to fighting Raven was to keep her distracted enough so that she couldn't focus her powers. Jinx just hoped she could do this long enough to think of a way of taking the Titan down.

"You know, I noticed that Terra wasn't the only one that was bothered that I fucking Robin," Jinx said with a slightly forced smirk, "are you harbouring some illicit thoughts about the Boy Wonder too?"

"You have to do a lot better than that Jinx," Raven smiled as her eyes began to glow.

Jinx cursed mentally. Raven had to firm a hold on her emotions to be bothered by something as simple as being teased about a boy. Jinx would just have to force an emotional reaction.

Thinking quickly, Jinx moved in closer and kissed Raven on the lips.

She held the kiss for over a minute, even going as far as to slip her tongue into Raven's mouth. As Jinx pulled back she expected Raven to be shocked and either outraged of blushing furiously. She definitely wasn't expecting to see her smiling.

"That was very nice Jinx, but it still wasn't good enough."

Jinx didn't have time to react as Raven head butted her, knocking her out. Raven smiled at the unconscious girl. It had been a nice kiss, though it was probably best if she kept what happened to herself.

Terra was angry enough with Jinx as it was.

* * *

Raven and Terra were soon back in the domed room. They gave each other a small smile. A silent congratulation. Though Terra momentarily wondered why Raven was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Congratulations champions," the Master said from his balcony, "now that the others have been vanquished it is down to you two. The final round shall take place here. Let the contest begin."

Raven looked to Terra, who just nodded in response, "No."

"No? I don't understand." the Master looked confused, his eyes trailing from one girl to the other.

"We've decided that we don't want to fight each other," Terra said, "we're willing to share the title of Tournament Champion. And of course, share the prizes."

The Master looked stunned for a moment, but then let out a cold, mirthless laugh, "You poor deluded girl. The prizes aren't for you. They are for me."

A hologram came to life in the centre of the room. It showed a close up of the gem hanging from the Masters neck. Raven and Terra looked in horror as they saw the other champions trapped inside. The hologram faded as the Master laughed again.

"And since you both refuse to fight…" the Master jumped from his balcony, landing a few feet in front of the Titans, Stargirl's Cosmic Rod materializing in his hand, "…then I will have to just win you myself."

Raven erected a black shield to cover her and Terra a second before the Master fired.

"What the hell?" Terra asked, realising time was against them and that she only needed the cliff-notes.

"Magic gem," Raven said, pouring more power into her shield, "others trapped inside. Gives him their powers. Smash it and they will be released and he loses their powers."

"How do you know that?" Terra asked. She didn't want to smash the gem and end up killing the others.

"I remember it from one of my books," Raven said with a shrug, "I didn't get a good enough look at it before. That's why he brought us here, to steal all our abilities."

"Bet you wish he was just playing with himself now," Terra said with a sigh.

A nearby pillar glowed yellow with Terra's powers, shattering into pieces. She launched the pieces through the air at the Master.

A crystal wall formed in front of him, blocking him from the barrage. The wall then shattered into sharp shards before flying towards the two Titans. Terra raised her own wall from the ground to block the crystals. This was soon destroyed by a blast of pink magic. Raven dropped her shield and both Titans moved to opposite sides of the room.

Raven used her powers to pull the Cosmic Rod from the Master's grip. It was travelling towards her when Bumble Bee's Stingers formed in the Master's hands. He blasted Raven off her feet and into a wall, knocking her out.

"You are a truly excellent prize," the Master said as he moved towards Raven.

"I don't think so pal," Terra said, with new stone armour made from the floor. She executed a perfect roundhouse kick; her foot connecting with the Master's jaw and knocking him face down on the ground.

As Terra moved over to grab the gem when the Master turned round and blasted a starbolt into her chest, destroying the rocks covering her chest. She was knocked off her feet and hit the floor with a heavy thud. Terra looked up to see the Master standing over her.

"You never had a chance of beating me girl," the Master said with a mirthless smile, "I have the combat knowledge of six heroes. I have more strength, more speed, more power than you."

"Yeah? Well you have something else that I don't," Terra said with a smile.

"And what's that girl?" the Master asked with a smirk.

Terra didn't answer. She just slammed her foot between his legs with a sickening crunch.

The Master doubled over as he let out a howl of pain. Terra grabbed the gem and pulled the Master close enough to hit him. The chain snapped as he fell back from the force of the punch. Terra quickly smashed the gem on the ground. With a blinding flash of light the six girls were all back in the room. All of them looking incredibly pissed.

The Master attempted to jump back to his balcony, only to be blocked by a black barrier.

"You're not going anywhere Master," Raven said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I think these young ladies would like to have a few words with you. I'll leave you in their capable hands while I see what you have up in your little room."

Raven took to the air as the other girls advanced on the now trembling Master. She entered the room connected to the balcony and took a look around. On one wall there were about twenty monitors, each one showing a different arena. On the other wall was a very large and expensive looking computer. At the far end of the room was a large circular bed with expensive bedding, next to this was a wardrobe, two small cabinets, a large fridge and a door leading to an on suite bathroom.

Raven took one of the pillow cases before using her powers to shred the bed and everything in the wardrobe to pieces. In one of the cabinets were another twenty of the magic gems. Raven took one and smashed the others. In the other cabinet was something that shocked Raven. It was a large, brightly coloured glass snowflake. As Raven looked closer, she saw that all the little dots of colour were actually little planets. She had read of the Dimensional Snowflake in her books, but never actually thought she would see one. It was a magical item of phenomenal power. Not only enabling someone to teleport to other planets, but other dimensions. Next to it was an idiot-proof instruction book on how to use it called 'Teleportation for Dummies'. Raven put both of them in her pillow case.

Raven then moved over to the monitors. There was a hard drive connected to them which Raven put in the pillow case. Robin would probably be able to devise new combat strategies from watching the fights, and if not then at least someone else could see how she took down Stargirl. With a quick burst of power all the monitors were smashed too.

Raven took a moment to look at the computer. She knew Cyborg would never forgive her for what she was about to do but it couldn't be helped. She extended her powers out, smashing the computer but leaving the hard drives intact which she floated into her hands. Raven took one last look at the destruction she had caused before putting the now full pillowcase over her shoulder and floating down to the other girls.

The Master was lying on the floor as a bloody mess. He had a lot of bruises, even more broken bones, and tufts of his hair had been pulled out. Even Starfire, who didn't like hurting people at the best of times, had left him with a few scorch marks.

Jinx looked at the pillowcase Raven was carrying, "Where have you been? The gift shop?"

"Just taking away his little toys," Raven said looking down at the beaten man, "so Master of Games, are you going to tell us how to get home of do I get the girls here to give you another beating?"

"Err… he can't answer you Raven," Terra said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I kind of broke his jaw while I was fighting him. He couldn't tell you if he wanted to."

Raven let out a heavy sigh before she pulled the teleportation book out of her pillowcase, "okay, give me a few minutes to figure out how to send us all home then. Keep an eye on him."

It didn't take long for Raven to find the right passage as there was a table of contents. She took out the Dimensional Snowflake and let it float in front of her.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Raven asked. When the other girls nodded yes, Raven read out the words, _"return from whence you came."_

After another flash of light only Raven, Terra and the Master remained.

"Return from whence you came?" Terra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't write the stupid thing," Raven said defensively, she then looked down at the Master, "what should we do with him?"

Terra looked down at him with a comforting smile, "let's leave him here."

"Okay then," Raven said. She took hold of Terra's hand and floated the Snowflake into her arms, "goodbye Master, I doubt we'll meet again. _Return from whence we came."_

With a final flash of light the Master was left alone to nurse his wounds.

* * *

Raven and Terra found themselves back outside their bedrooms. While Raven put the stuff she had collected in her room, Terra checked the time. It had been just an hour since they had left for the Tournament of Heroines.

"What should we do now?" Terra asked, "Should we talk to Robin about what we found out?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Raven said with a frown, "he's still dealing with finding out about his parents. He might not appreciate us finding out about his private life."

"I guess you're right," Terra said, "Well at least we're Tournament Champions now."

"Only because you never had to fight me," Raven said with a smirk. She walked towards the Ops Room with Terra grumbling behind her.

* * *

Raven and Terra entered to Ops Room to find Starfire telling Cyborg, Beast Boy and Aqua Lad about their battle with the Master. They joined in with their own experiences, although they left out personal details about themselves and what they had learned of Robin. The boys then, reluctantly, told them of their own experience with the Tournament of Heroes. Beast Boy was more than a little bit annoyed when he realised he was beaten by the four year old Wildebeest.

Starfire left the others laughing at the changeling to fetch the mail. As Robin hadn't returned from his room yet, the boys told Raven and Terra what they had been discussing in their absence.

"We were thinking that maybe we should set Robin up with someone," Cyborg said as he finished off the last of his breakfast, "I have a couple of old high school friends I'm sure would be interested or maybe we could find him a little super heroine he could hook up with and they could patrol together."

Raven and Terra exchanged looks. They didn't want the other Titans to know their feelings for the Boy Wonder, but they didn't want him to be set up either. They briefly thought about telling them about what they had learned in the Tournament, but decided against it. Not only would they feel outraged to learn about Jinx, but neither Cyborg nor Beast Boy would stop nagging Robin until they had all the juicy details on Wonder Girl. And Robin probably wouldn't want them to advertise his personal life.

"Or you know I could just set him up with one of my old flames," Beast Boy said offhandedly.

"I'm sure Robin could buy his own blow-up doll, Beast Boy." Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"We just thought it would be good for Robin to meet a nice girl," Cyborg said as he put his dishes in the sink, "it can't be good that he spends most of his spare time in his evidence room or training."

"Maybe he got his heart broken by some girl and he just hasn't gotten over it," Aqua Lad said sagely, "or maybe he's just gay."

"NO," Raven and Terra said loudly. With the boys giving them strange looks Raven continued, "I mean, I'm sure he isn't gay and I doubt Robin would appreciate you interfering in his life. I'm sure, given time, Robin will find the right relationship for him."

"Are you kidding me?" Beat Boy exclaimed, "The guy will never get a girl unless we help him. He's more fridged than Mr Freeze. I bet he's never gotten his end away."

The rest of the Titans conversation was interrupted by the strange way Starfire entered the room. She was walking instead of floating, which was never a good sign. She only had one newspaper in her hands as apposed to the usual five. She stared intently at the front page with an extremely shocked expression etched on her face. She sat at the dinning table and continued to stare at the paper.

"Starfire?" Beast Boy asked with a worried look, "what's wrong Star?"

When she didn't respond he took the paper out her hands, she stayed in the exact same position.

As Beast Boy read the headline he took on the same expression as Starfire. The other Titans looked over his shoulder and soon looked just as surprised. Beast Boy opened the paper so that they could all read the story connected to the headline.

"Well Beast Boy," Cyborg said, recovering first, "I guess that blows your theory out of the water. Who knew Robin had it in him."

"Wow," was all Beast Boy could manage to say at the moment.

"I… I don't believe it…" Terra said, reading through the story again.

The Titans all looked up as they saw Robin enter the room.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** There you go, the longest chapter I've ever written and yet another cliff-hanger, I think I'm getting addicted to them. I never like reading them myself, but I like the fact that everyone responds to them. And for those of you wondering, the mysterious girl that Robin slept with isn't anyone that has been mentioned in this fic so far, so get the idea of Wonder Woman out of your head now.

I had originally planed to have a little lesbian sex scene to go in between the scene where Raven and Terra go to bed and the morning after scene. I made several attempts at writing it (which is why it took so long for me to put this one online) but have since realised that I need to do a bit more research before I can write it properly. Once I have it written at a level which satisfies me I will put it in its proper place and write an author's note to let all you fellow perverts know it's there.

Young Justice was the first comic that I ever bought (other than the crappy English comics like the Beano and Sonic the Comic I bought in my youth) and started me off buying other DC and Marvel comics. It's because of it's witty stories and excellent art work (Todd Nauck Rocks) that I fell in love with the current Robin (the manly, heterosexual kind of love not the girly, playing with yourself kind). If you ever read it then I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. You can expect more characters from Young Justice to appear in the future.

If you don't know who Stargirl is and want a better idea of what she looks like, then you can find a picture of her on the favourites part of my devientART page. If you don't know who Wonder Girl is then stop reading my fic right now. Your lack of common Teen Titans knowledge disgusts me.

Like my Robin is a mix of all the Robin's, my Wonder Girl is an amalgamation of all the Wonder Girls. I haven't decided which one she will be named after yet, either Donna Troy or Cassandra Sandsmark, as I'm not sure when she will be back in the fic. If she is back it would probably be to talk to the girls, or possibly Robin.

I changed Kole's powers to what they originally were in the comics. Because as far as I can tell from the screen shots I've seen, Kole's power in the cartoon is to turn into a crystal statue… need I say more?

The Dimensional Snowflake originally comes from the Planetary comics series written by Warren Ellis, the only comic book writer besides Stan Lee who's name I always remember.

**Next Chapter:** Bad things always happen in threes. At least as far as Robin is concerned. First he finds out that his parents are monsters, then his private life becomes public knowledge, what else could possibly go wrong…?


	9. Sex, Lies and Unnatural Powers

**Author's Notes:** I had meant to get this chapter out a lot sooner. But after getting out and enjoying the brilliant weather we've been having here, mourning England's lose in the World Cup (and by mourning I mean getting drunk), and of course having this chapter Beta'd by the amazing Daybreak25, this was as soon as I could get it out.

This chapter is written entirely from Robin's POV. I've only ever tried doing this once before with Five Minutes Peace and people seemed to like it. (If you didn't notice that was my not-so-subtle hint for you to go and read my other TT fic.) Enjoy.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Beta'd By:** Daybreak25

**Chapter Nine:** Sex, Lies and Unnatural Powers

* * *

I stood in silence for almost five minutes after I closed the door on Raven and Terra.

I wasn't sure why I had shared so much with them. Maybe it was because they had shared so much with me recently, maybe it was because they had similar feelings to their own parents… maybe it was something else.

Shaking the thought from my head I put on my uniform. I had enough to think about at the moment without thinking about the girls.

The clock on my wall said it was 7:30; I turned on the computer and opened up the secure line to the Bat Cave. Bruce would have returned from patrolling at four, had two hours of meditative sleep and then a quick breakfast. He would be in the middle of his morning exercises now while simultaneously checking up Wayne Enterprises. I called the cave and waited for him to answer.

I had meant to call him as soon as I found out that Slade was my father. But before my brain even had time to process the information properly Mumbo Jumbo had escaped from jail. And after waiting to see if the Titans could be returned to normal I had just placed everything to the back of mind.

Even after talking to the girls I still wasn't sure what I was supposed to be feeling. I was angry after the DNA test. I felt like going out and finding a criminal so I could beat him into a coma, or possibly just put him in traction. But I pushed all that anger down. It was pointless. I had no more control over who my parents could be than anyone else in the world. And I certainly wasn't going to cry about it like some petulant child. I decided to call Bruce to see if he had any information on my erstwhile parents. And also to get some perspective from the only person that knows me better than I know myself.

Bruce's image appeared on the screen as he answered the call. He dressed in full Batman costume, something he did to make his training more realistic. "Robin. What can I do for you?" No one else would have noticed the friendly tone in his otherwise monotone voice, but it was clear as day to me.

So I told him everything. The meeting with Lady Shiva, the intensive training she gave me and, of course, her startling revelation. Bruce just sat back and soaked up every word until I was finished.

"I wouldn't worry about it Tim," Bruce said, starting to type on his computer, "there is no discernable evidence to suggest homicidal tendencies are passed down hereditarily, except in cases of mental illness. And we both know you don't suffer from anything like that."

I let a small smile grace my lips. Only Bruce could be analytical and comforting at the same time.

"I'm emailing you everything I have on Lady Shiva and Slade and their various escapades," he said as he finished typing, "I'm sorry I can't do more for you Tim but I have to meet with the Justice League in an hour. The Legion of Doom are planning something big and they want me to look into it. Is there anything else you need before I go?"

I momentarily think about asking his advice on the whole Raven and Terra situation, but that seemed like it would be a long conversation. It could wait until there was more to talk about. "That's all for now. Thank you Bruce."

"I knew your mother was a killer Tim. And even if I knew who your father was, I still would have asked you to be Robin." With that said the transmission cut.

I felt better after talking with Bruce. He might not have said much but it was more than enough. I momentarily consider phoning one of my friends from Young Justice, Kid Flash or even Wonder Girl, but I decide against it. Pity was the last thing I wanted and I would no doubt get enough of that from Raven and Terra over the next couple of days.

Bringing up my email inbox I opened the files that Bruce had sent me. I skipped Lady Shiva's for the time being and go straight to Slade's. When I first started doing research on Slade I never asked for Bruce's help. I saw it as my problem and wanted to solve it on my own. Seeing how much more information he had than me, made me wish I had swallowed my pride earlier.

Slade apparently had an active career as a mercenary and assassin before he decided to take over Jump City. I wasn't really that surprised. What did surprise me however was finding out he had other children. Two boys and a girl, all roughly the same age as me. Growing up as an adopted child, I had always wondered if I had any siblings. Now that I knew I had three made me curious. I ultimately pushed the curiosity from my mind. The chance of us having a normal relationship with Slade as our father was likely impossible. And I'm certainly in no hurry to let Slade know that I'm his child.

I looked up at the clock and saw it was already 8:30. I closed down the files and shut of the computer. I briefly think about telling the other Titans about Slade. After all he is one of their villains too. But I realised no good would come from it. They'd be shocked at first, and then they'd feel sorry for me. But then, when we would eventually have to fight him again, they would hesitate. Not sure if I wouldn't want them to hurt him, or if I'd rather fight him by myself.

I shook the thought from my head. I never would have considered telling the Titans before. I had been getting soft since I came back from Gotham. I'd have to keep an eye on that. I left my room and made my way to the Ops Room, maybe seeing the others talking and laughing would make me feel a little better.

As I approached the Ops Room I heard the sound of papers being rustled. This was weird as none of the others read the newspapers, at least not until after I did. And Beast Boy always waited until after I was done reading them before he took out the comics. I paused as I heard them talking.

"Well Beast Boy, I guess that blows your theory out of the water. Who knew Robin had it in him." Cyborg sounded shocked, and at the same time… proud? Happy? It was hard to tell on the opposite side of a door. The fact that it was something about me was a cause for concern. I tried to think of something I had done recently that was news worthy.

"Wow." That was definitely Beast Boy, the only person I know who doesn't attempt to be eloquent when he's shocked. If he was shocked then it had to be something to do with a girl. But I don't think any of the girls I've slept with would go to the press with their stories.

"I… I don't believe it…" Terra said. Deciding I wanted to find out what they were reading I stepped into the room. Starfire was sat at the dinning table; the other Titans were stood in the middle of the room, crowded around a copy of the Daily Planet. They all looked up at me as I entered the room.

Moving with speed I didn't know they possessed, Beast Boy and Cyborg were quickly stood in front of me, both sporting large cheesy grins.

"Dude, I always thought you were secretly getting busy with the ladies, but this is just mind blowing," Cyborg said, clapping both his hands on my shoulders. It took a lot of concentration to stop my knees from buckling under the force.

"Dude, you are a total hero. You're a god amongst men. I never knew you were such a ladies man, you gotta tell me the secrets of your success," Beast Boy said, bobbing up and down with excitement.

"Do you mind telling me what you're talking about?" I asked, looking back and forth between both boys.

Beast Boy shoved the newspaper into my hands. I almost groaned as I looked at the headline. "THE BOY WONDERFUL". I wondered what real news story had been moved to a later page so that gossip could take its place. As I looked at the picture of the girl who talked I did groan. This was the last thing I needed today.

"Dude," Beast Boy said, looking over my shoulder at the picture, "why didn't you tell us you slept with Supergirl?"

I ignored the question as I read through the related story. I couldn't believe this was happening. One of the reasons why I even slept with metahumans, other than the fact that I don't usually meet many regular girls, was because they're secretive by nature, usually only socialising with other metas. Now there was a story about me and my sexual prowess, the last thing I needed to think about with my parental problem still hanging over my head. It was mostly accurate; at least I could live with that, though I was still trying to figure out why she told the paper about it in the first place.

"Is it true that she broke your wrist and bruised your ribs?" Aqua Lad asked, walking over to stand next to Beast Boy. He didn't have the same cheesy grin that the other two boys had, but I could tell that he was just as excited.

"Actually that's the only part that isn't accurate," I said almost automatically, wiping a hand down my face in frustration, "she actually broke my wrist, dislocated my arm, fractured my collar bone, bruised and fractured a couple of ribs, left some deep scratches down my back and gave me some very uncomfortable bruising. She got a little lost in the passion, which is really dangerous when the person is invulnerable and has super strength. I'm lucky to be alive."

"But was it worth it?" Cyborg asked with a lecherous grin.

I didn't answer him. I was too busy wondering what people would think when they read this. My friends, my enemies, the other girls I've slept with. My mind drifted to what the Justice League would say when they found out. The Flash would have pretty much the same reaction as Beast Boy, though probably not as franticly.

"That's what I thought man," Cyborg said with an approving nod, "but why didn't you ever tell us about this?"

"I don't kiss and tell Cyborg, no exceptions no matter how… extraordinary the case maybe." I would have to avoid Hawk Girl for a while. She would accuse me of mistreating women and try to beat some sense into me with her war-mace.

"You don't kiss and tell?" Beast Boy practically yelled, "Dude, I'd be screaming it from the roof tops. I'd get t-shirts printed up. I mean, you slept with a living goddess and it's like you aren't even bothered."

"No exceptions, Beast Boy," I said in a serious tone. Wonder Woman would want to sit me down and have a frank discussion to make sure I was treating women right, and that I was using protection. That was a talk I definitely didn't want to have.

"Maybe Robin just sleeps with so many girls that it isn't that big a deal anymore," Terra said with a frown, her arms folded across her chest.

I momentarily wonder why she's so upset, but decided to focus on that later as the thought of what Superman might do entered my mind. He had a habit of being over protective when it came to Supergirl, so he'd either beat me into a fine paste or just be extremely disappointed in me. I personally hoped for the beating.

"When did this even happen Robin? The newspaper doesn't give that many details, at least not about that," Raven asked. She seemed genuinely curious, though I detected that she was a little upset too.

I really didn't want to tell them, but I knew none of the Titans would leave me alone until I told them something. "It was about three years ago. I was on the Justice League's Satellite waiting for Batman and the others to get back from a mission on Apokolips. Supergirl was keeping me company and one thing led to another…"

"Dude, you're a little player," Cyborg said as he put an arm around my shoulders, "what did the League say when they saw you all banged up?"

"Nothing much. I told them we were sparing and she got a little carried away when she flipped me over her shoulder. They patched me up and sent me home."

Any further questions from the Titans were halted by a call coming in on the Main Screen. As Beast Boy hit the answer button Supergirl's image appeared on the screen, she looked slightly embarrassed, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"Hi Robin," she said with a nervous smile. Considering the amount of power she possessed I never thought I'd see her being nervous. "Hi guys," the other Titans just murmured in response, "I err… take it you've already seen the Daily Planet?"

"Yes Kara I have," I didn't say anything else in case I overreacted. I could feel the anger I had pushed down earlier bubbling to the surface. It wasn't that I cared what people thought of me. Not most people anyway. I just didn't like the thought of everyone knowing my private business. And just the thought of what the people I do care about might say… I just hoped they didn't think less of me.

Of course Batman wouldn't say anything. But he would laugh. Not with his mouth though, with his eyes. He had a look that only a few people knew meant he was laughing his ass off on the inside. I'd seen that look a lot more than people would think. A lot more than I'd care for considering how often it's at my expense. I'd been told I have the same look myself. If I have then I probably used it when I talked to him about his movie. There was no way that I wasn't going to see that look soon.

"I never intended for this to happen," Supergirl said, bringing me back from my thoughts with an apologetic smile, "I was telling a friend about what happened while we were in a club the other night and a reporter overheard me. She said I could either tell her the whole story or she would print what she already had. I thought the truth would be better than whatever she had picked up."

I personally thought it would have been better to just take the reporter to the middle of the Sahara desert and leave her there. But I didn't say that out loud.

"It's not the end of the world though is it?" she asked hopefully, "I mean I'm sure you've told more than your fare share of people already…"

"No Kara I haven't. I haven't told anyone."

"Really?" she asked, clearly shocked and confused, "I thought for sure that… not even these guys? I don't believe it."

"I haven't told anybody," I said, trying desperately to contain my anger. It was bad enough everyone knowing about my sex life without her calling me a liar too. "If I had told anyone I would never have to buy myself a drink again."

"You drink?"

My only response was the frown I'd learned off Bruce. It was more than enough to intimidate even her.

"I erm… I have to get going now," Supergirl said with a nervous smile, "I have this… this thing… I have to take care of with the Justice League. I'll… I'll give you a call you later." The image of her cut-out as she hung up.

"I'm going out for a while," I said as I turned around and left the room. I knew the Titans would barrage me with questions if I didn't get out right away. If I didn't leave now I'd end up snapping at them. I didn't want that to happen.

I checked my communicator as I walked towards the elevators. It was specially designed to hold more than two hundreds calls at once, while displaying the number and name of the caller on the screen. So if there were an emergency I could pick which ones to answer and which ones could wait. Almost a hundred calls were waiting to be answered. I knew all of them. I also knew what each of them was calling for. I shut them all off, setting the communicator to only except the emergency frequency that only the Titans and the Justice League knew. Something neither team would abuse just for gossip.

"Robin, can we have a word?" I turned back from the elevator as Terra spoke. She and Raven came down the hall and stood in front of me.

"Look, girls I'm really not in the mood for…"

"What's going on Robin?" Terra asked in an angry tone, "are you just trying to fuck your way through every super heroine in the world?"

"What?" I asked, I couldn't hide the shock in my voice. I wasn't expecting this, "what are you talking…"

"Or is it only certain girls?" Terra interrupted as she crossed her arms, "girls like Supergirl, or Wonder Girl or Jinx maybe? I mean here we are telling you how we feel about you and nothing. And yet you meet that tart Jinx in some club and suddenly you're bumping pelvises with her?"

It took about a second for brain to properly process what she had said. Just over an hour ago she was in my room to see if I was okay. Now suddenly she was yelling at me for sleeping with girls I didn't even know she knew about. "How do you even…"

"You need to calm down Terra," Raven interrupted, placing a hand on Terra's shoulder, "just because Robin has had sex with a few metas doesn't make him some sort of sexual deviant. He just isn't that picky."

"Yeah I…" again, my brain took a second to process what was said, "wait, what do you mean…"

"Or is this all part of some kind of plan?" Terra asked me, shrugging Raven's hand off her shoulder, "I mean why settle for bedding one girl when you can get two together and have yourself a threesome?"

"WAIT A MINUTE," I yelled. The anger I had been pushing down all day was bubbling back up, taking control over my mouth, "you two are the ones that started pursuing me, not the other way around. I didn't ask for the attention, I didn't even particularly want it. And I certainly wasn't the one using crazy potions that cause perverse daydreams. You don't like the fact that I have an active sex life? Fine. But don't you try to insinuate that I started any of this."

As I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the garage I was already regretting what I said. I was going to have to apologise later, but right now I just needed to get out of the tower and cool down.

The image of Batman's laughing eyes followed me all the way to my motorbike.

* * *

After I left the tower I went straight to my place in the city. When the Teen Titans first started working in the city, Bruce bought me a penthouse apartment. He did this for two reasons. One was that if I ever had to use my "civilian" identity, then I would have somewhere legitimate that I could call my home. The other reason was so that I could have somewhere to go in case I needed some time to myself. I liked to come here at least once a week.

The place was very modern. Open planed, hardwood floors and the latest entertainment centre. A cleaner was paid to come in once a week, about the same time a grocer came to make sure the kitchen was filled with fresh food. Thankfully all the really important equipment was hidden behind various secret compartments.

I turned off the alarm and entered through the skylight. After making myself a light breakfast I decided to get changed into something more comfortable.

I put on one of the black Armani suits Bruce had purchased for me. It was ideal for moving around any city more easily, no one questioned you when you wear expensive clothing. And no one would be looking for Robin the Boy Wonder in this outfit. After making sure my hair was slicked back and that I wasn't wearing my mask, I left through the front door and made my way out on to the street.

I spent most of the morning wandering through various stores, trying not to look at any newsstand selling Supergirl's story, before stopping off in a book store. I didn't do as much reading nowadays as I did in my youth. There was always something that needed to be done, some training to do, some research to follow up on. I left the place at midday without buying anything - there wasn't much point really.

The Pizza Parlour was my next stop. I could certainly afford to go somewhere more upscale, but I wanted something quick and simple for lunch. The place was virtually empty, but I still picked a table at the back of the room, it made it easier to see who was coming and going. I was happy to see that no one recognised me, not even Amy, the waitress that usually served the Titans.

After my food arrived I was prepared to sit in silence and eat my lunch. I had no such luck however as I spotted Cyborg, Beast Boy, Aqua Lad, Starfire and little Matthew the Wildebeest entering the Parlour.

I was a little worried that they might recognise me. It turned out I needn't have worried, they sat at the second table to my right and didn't even glance at me. I knew why people I know never recognised me out of uniform of course. When they saw me in full Robin gear they didn't see me as a normal person, they only saw me as a hero. The Titans often said that they sometimes forget I'm human. I never knew if I should take that as a complement or not.

I tried to focus on my meal, but the other Titan's conversation took up most of my concentration, mostly because it was about me.

"Dude, I still can't believe he slept with Supergirl," Beast Boy said. Judging by the fact that both Cyborg and Aqua Lad rolled their eyes and sighed in frustration, this was probably about the twentieth time Beast Boy had said that.

"Okay, BB, we get it. You have issues with reality." Cyborg replied as their pizza orders came. He gave flirtatious smile to Amy as he always did. She went back to the counter trying to hide a blush.

"It's just that this morning we were talking about setting the guy up and now we find out he was slipping it to a blonde bombshell," Beast Boy said before shovelling a slice of pizza into his mouth.

I smiled at the thought of the guys wanting me to have a girl. Though I was a little annoyed that they didn't think I could get my own. Although if there was a choice between that and them knowing about my sex life I would have jumped at the chance.

"What do you think Star?" Beast Boy asked after inhaling another slice.

Starfire was sat with Matthew on her lap and a thoughtful look on her face that looked out of place on the alien princess, "I… did not believe it to be real."

"Why? Because you… like Robin?" Aqua Lad asked her. I doubted the others noticed the slightly nervous, slightly jealous tone to his question. Though I personally thought that his affection for Starfire couldn't have been more obvious unless he had her name tattooed across his chest.

"No, I did not believe that the stories of couples in the newspapers were true," Starfire said with a confused frown, "on Tamaran our newspapers come with fanciful stories of couples written by aspiring writers. I believed the ones in Earth newspapers and the glamorous magazines were the same. When I read of friend-Robin and the Supergirl I was shocked that two real people I knew had a story about their coupling. When friend-Robin confirmed it to be true my level of shock reached new heights."

"Is that why you were so quiet this morning?" Beast Boy asked. I was wondering the same thing myself.

"Yes. I was remembering all of the other stories of the moving picture stars I had read, and realised that these stories were now much more interesting. Does this mean that everything in the newspapers are real?" When the other boys nodded, Starfire smiled brightly, "then I must find the boy name Charlie Brown so I might meet his funny dancing canine."

"Okay, maybe not everything is real Star," Beast Boy said with a frown. I smiled to myself, Starfire's innocent ideas always made me feel better.

"So what do you think of Robin and Supergirl, Star?" Aqua Lad asked.

Starfire had a thoughtful look on her face for a minute before she answered, "I think that perhaps friend-Robin should find a sexual partner that does not cause him quite some much physical harm."

The small amount of laughter that escaped my lips was drowned out by Beast Boy and Aqua Lad roaring with laughter.

"Can we please talk about something else please?" Cyborg asked grumpily. His was picking topping off his pizza. Something was obviously troubling him. Normally I would have asked him what was wrong, but I couldn't really do that now. Thankfully Beast Boy was perceptive enough to notice that Cyborg was troubled.

"What's up with you dude? You've been in a weird mood ever since the "Boy Wonderful" took off." I had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last time Beast Boy called me that.

"It's just…" he paused momentarily to let out a heavy sigh, "it's just another thing that he's never told us."

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked. I had a sinking feeling that I knew exactly what he meant.

"I mean what do we know about Robin? He has black hair, knows martial arts and is a detective. And that's it. And what does he know about us? Almost everything." Cyborg pushed his plate of pizza away from himself. It was the first time I ever saw Cyborg push away any kind of food that wasn't cook by Starfire or made of Tofu. "I mean we don't know anything. What are his folks like? What was it like working with Batman? What heroes has he met? Has he ever had a girlfriend? What's his real name? Hell, I'd settle for just knowing what colour his eyes are. I think of him as one of my best friends, but I sometimes wonder if he even likes us."

Cyborg's words hit me like a knife in the heart. I barely noticed as the other Titans left the Pizza Parlour as my own guilt washed over me. I couldn't argue with what Cyborg said as it was all true. I had started the Teen Titans so that Raven could have some friends to help in case her father surfaced. I never intended to make any friends myself. If the Titans ever disbanded like Young Justice did, I didn't want to lose contact with another group of people.

But somewhere along the way I had grown fond of all the Titans. Starfire's innocence and childlike joy, Cyborg with his car and his big brother type attitude, Beast Boy always trying to make everyone laugh, Raven and Terra…

But I was still keeping them all at arms length. It was easier to open up to the kids in Young Justice, mostly because of Wonder Girl's influence, which if I'm honest with myself was the only reason I did open up. But now my Titan friends wanted me to be more open. I wanted that too.

But I shook the thought from my head. I had far too much going on in my head already. I paid my bill and left the Parlour and headed to my apartment. I needed to do more than walk around in a fancy suit.

* * *

I changed back into my Robin suit and went out on patrol. I moved across the roofs at a lacklustre pace. It wasn't as easy to clear my head as I would have hoped.

Thankfully I soon heard an alarm going off two streets over. My adrenaline kicked in at the very sound of it. I made it over there in record time. As I looked down at my opponents I wished I hadn't bothered.

Fang and Kitten, quite possibly the weirdest couple I had ever encountered, were walking out of the broken remains of the jewellery store door. Fang was wearing a number of rings, bracelets, and necklaces on his four spider-legs, while holding a large bag in his right human hand that was no doubt filled with more jewels. Kitten was wearing a fair amount of jewellery herself, including a large tiara. She had her arm linked with Fang's free hand and was grinning like an idiot.

I was tempted to turn around and head back to my apartment. But my sense of duty wouldn't let, no matter how hard I tried to fight it. I somersaulted off the roof of the building, landing a few feet in front of the couple and giving them my best Batman glare. It didn't work as I hoped it would.

"Hi Robbie-Poo!" Kitten screeched, her eyes lighting up. My skin crawled as she used the dreaded nickname and I resisted the urge to grind my teeth. I definitely wasn't in the mood for this. Which of course meant things would get worse.

"I read about you and that Supertramp in the paper this morning Robbie-Poo," I repressed a shudder, "if I had known you was so good in the sack I would have pursued you more." I couldn't stop my next shudder.

"Dude, you are a total hero," Fang said, giving me thumbs up before his eyes narrowed, "but if you think for a second that my Kitten is going to be another notch on your head-post you have another thing coming."

I'd had enough of this, "don't worry about it Fang. I'm into quality not quantity."

Kitten's playful demeanour switched to blind rage almost instantly. She left Fang's side and charged at me. I easily side stepped her, sticking out my leg and tripping her up. I took no small pleasure in that thought that she landed painfully on all the jewellery she was wearing.

Seeing his girlfriend fall caused Fang to act. Thankfully all the jewellery he was wearing slowed him down considerably. It gave me enough time to get the gas pellet designed specifically for the arachnid boy. With a quick flick of the wrist, I threw the pellet into Fang's face. He dropped to the ground, instantly unconscious.

I turned back to find Kitten back on her feet and lunging at me. I was deciding on what debilitating move to use on her when something surprising happened. A large net shot from the right hand side, wrapping around Kitten and incapacitating her instantly.

I looked up to where the net came from and forced down a groan. A slim, athletic, blonde girl was floating down towards me with aid of a jetpack. She wore a tight deep red jacket, with flame motif around the upper arms and a yellow V that started at her shoulders and ran down to her stomach. She had tight red pants with red thigh length boots. She wore thick red gloves, and a yellow belt with various compartments. Her mask covered the top half of her face, with yellow tinted goggles over her eyes.

She landed next to me with a big smile on her face as though she had done something amazing. I wanted to leave as I could tell this wouldn't end well, but I had to wait for the police to show up and take care of Fang and Kitten. I could hear sirens in the distance; I'd unfortunately be here for at least two more minutes.

"Hi," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement, "I'm…"

"Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane, the tennis prodigy," I finished for her, hoping that it would sufficiently intimidate her.

"…Flamebird," she finished with a shocked look on her face, "how the hell do you know my real name?"

"It's my job to know," was the answer I always gave when I didn't want the other person to know the truth. The truth was that Beast Boy hadn't shut up about the young tennis star for almost two weeks. He had watched all her tennis games, and even had a poster of her in her tennis uniform. It was easy for me to spot her features even with the mask on.

"Erm… I'm a huge fan of yours," she said with a nervous smile, "I started with the whole crime fighting thing because of you."

Now that got my interest. The last girl to tell me that she became a vigilante because of me, had died fighting some lunatic. I certainly didn't want another death on my conscience. I had to put her off this idea.

"What do you think of the costume," she asked, giving me a little twirl, "isn't the jetpack great?"

"What happens if you're fifty feet up in the air and the power fails of gets knocked out?" I asked, using the most condescending tone I could, "what happens if it gets shot and blows up on your back?"

"Erm…" she obviously hadn't thought of that, "well, err… that's why I wanted to meet up with you. I thought you could give me some pointers. You know, some advice."

"You want some advice? Go home, throw that costume away, go back to tennis and give up any and all thoughts of being a crime fighter." I turned my back on her and walked over to Fang to make sure he was still out.

"HEY," she yelled, getting indignant, "who… who do you think you are telling me I can't fight crime? What gives you the right?"

The anger I had been trying to keep down all day jumped up out of my throat, "I'll tell you what gives me the right. I spent my entire life training to become a crime fighter. I was learning how to fight as I learned to walk. I gave up on a normal childhood, to become a master detective, gymnast and martial artist. I spent seven years fighting on the streets of Gotham; I've led two super teams and have buried friends, lovers and family, all who died to defend the greater good. I am not some spoiled, rich, bored little tennis star, who decided to try fighting crime after seeing some guy on TV. That's what right I have. Now get out of my sight. And if I ever see you in this costume again, you won't have to worry about the criminals, I'll put you in the hospital myself."

I could see the tears brimming in Flamebird's eyes and her lip trembling, but she still managed to look angry, "fuck you Robin. Fuck you."

Her jetpack lit up and she took off into the air, disappearing over the buildings. I felt a small pang of guilt, but it was a necessary evil. If she still carried on with crime fighting, then at least it wouldn't be because she idealised me.

"That was a little harsh don't you think?"

I turned back to see who spoke, then I looked her up and down, "I never thought I'd hear the day when Jinx would say I was too harsh."

Jinx pouted when I said her name, she must have thought her disguise was foolproof, to anyone else it would have been. She wore a short black wig covering her pink hair, blue contacts over her normal eyes; she had fake tan on to hide her pale skin, and wore a black Armani pants suit. She had a couple of different clothing store bags in her left hand.

"I worked all day on this disguise and you see through it in five seconds," Jinx grumbled.

"It's a gift."

"So… what are you up too?" Jinx asked with a playful smile.

"Trying, but failing, to stop my life from spiralling down into the abyss," I said with a mirthless smile.

"Oh," Jinx said, looking around before turning back to me, "well if you're failing anyway, do you want to come over to my place?"

* * *

I was surprised to find out that Jinx's new apartment was across the hall from mine, though I didn't mention this. I knew how much the place cost; it would have taken a hefty chunk out of her million dollar payment from the government. Unless of course she had some money hidden away from before she went to jail. Not that there was anything I could do about it with her government pardon, even if I wanted too.

I sat on Jinx's sofa while she was in the shower getting rid of her fake tan. She came out ten minutes later, her wet hair hanging loose. She gave me soda and sat next to me on the sofa, folding her legs underneath her. We both sat in silence. If she was waiting for me to talk she was going to be waiting for a long time.

"So…" Jinx said finally, "how did you Titans meet anyway? I always imagined you all met in high school, kinda like The Breakfast Club."

"…which one am I then in this scenario?" I asked with half a smile.

"Oh you are definitely the bad boy. Gives me shivers just thinking about it," I laughed in spite of myself, "so what's bothering you Boy Wonder? Does it have something to do with that newspaper story? Because that seemed pretty flattering to me."

I let out heavy sigh, "I was so happy being inconspicuous." I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, "and it's just one of many things that have gone wrong over the past two days. You aren't going to tell your story too are you?"

Jinx had a look on her face as if she was actually thinking about it, "nah… they probably wouldn't pay me enough."

I smiled at her comment. She was obviously trying to cheer me up. And it was working.

"You know what though?" Jinx said as she took my drink and had a sip, "this morning I thought Wonder Girl was the most famous girl you'd had sex with."

I sat up straight and stared at Jinx. How the hell did everyone know about me and Cassandra? "How do you even know about that?"

"Oh she told me all about it at the Tournament," Jinx smiled.

"Who told you… what Tournament?"

Jinx looked as confused as I was, "you mean the girls didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

And then Jinx told me all about the Tournament. Now I understood how Raven and Terra knew. I also understood how Terra must felt. It must have seemed like I was leading them both on while sleeping with every other girl I came across. I now felt even worse for what I said to them both before I left this morning.

It was then that I realised why I had been getting softer recently. At first I thought it might have been the death of my foster father, but it wasn't. it was Raven and Terra, they were getting under my skin. With their vampire confessions and their martial arts training, their missions turned dates and being kidnapped my their emotions. I wasn't even entirely sure it was a bad thing.

I couldn't even think of a reason why a relationship them was a bad idea anymore. Raven being a vampire certainly wasn't a problem, I knew she would never intentionally try to hurt me, and even if she did I already knew several ways to take her down. And no sane male would turn down to opportunity to be with two girl, not even Bruce.

The only thing I could think of was that none of my relationships had lasted very long, and if the relationship did end then two girls would be upset instead of one. But recently I realised even if that did happen they'd still have each other. I just still wasn't sure about my feelings. Seventeen years of repressing your emotions can do that to you.

"What are your thoughts on love Jinx?" I looked at her as I asked the question. She looked shocked at first, then she looked thoughtful.

"I… I'm not sure. Why what are yours?"

It took me longer than her to think about that, "…I used to think that love was only something that could be shared. You know like mother and child, brother and sister, husband and wife. And that people that thought they were in love with someone but that person wasn't in love with them back, weren't really in love, just infatuated. Now I'm not sure what I think."

"Why the change of heart?" Jinx smirked.

I rolled my eyes but answered anyway, "I found out a couple of days ago that someone is in love with me."

"Oh, who is it?" Jinx asked. I gave her a look that told her I wasn't going to tell her that, she seemed to take the hint, "Well, are you in love with them?"

"I don't know," I said with a shrug, "I know I feel something for… her. But I don't know what. It also seems like it would be a really complicated relationship. And with all the other crazy shit going on in my life at the moment…"

Jinx moved up close to me and put an arm over my shoulder, "you know what I think you should do?" she waited till I shook my head before she continued; "you should give it a try. You don't want to be sitting alone in a room twenty years from now wondering what could have been. If it's not meant to be then at least you'll know. Carpe diem, seize the day my friend."

I was surprised, this wasn't the Jinx I used to know, "Thanks Jinx, I think I will." I started to get up when she stopped me.

"But wait. There is one very important thing that you need to do first," Jinx said with a large smile. Before I could ask what, she grabbed my head and kissed me, forcing her tongue in to explore my mouth. When she came up for air, she breathed out lustfully, "I need you to take me into the bedroom and fuck my brains out one last time."

Now this was the Jinx that I knew.

* * *

It took almost eight hours before Jinx was sure she "had enough to last her" I tried not to think what she meant by that, but she seemed happy enough. After a shower, which Jinx joined me in for anther few rounds, I put my uniform back on and left through the skylight.

Feeling a lot more relaxed than I had all day, my thoughts finally seemed to be flowing freely.

It had been my experience that really bad, life changing events always happened in threes. First I found out that my parents are Lady Shiva and Slade, something that shook the very foundation of my being and would no doubt haunt me for a long time to come. Then my sex life was exposed, which caused my friends to become upset with me. I wasn't sure if what came next would be worse than these two, I just hoped it happened soon.

My feeling of relaxed calm was quickly fading as I realised this. There was only one way to get it back. I needed to find someone I could beat the crap out off. But I didn't just want some mugger or purse-snatcher; I wanted a murderer or a rapist to be counting the few teeth he had left with his broken fingers. So I made my way to the corner of Victoria and 42nd.

Victoria and 42nd was basically Jump City's red-light district, though it also had a number of seedy hotels where a lot of underhand deals were made. This was the perfect place to find someone to cripple. If there wasn't a gun shot every ten minutes the people that lived here would probably throw a parade.

I was barely sat on a building roof for a minute when I heard gunshots coming from the top floor of the Swan Hotel across the street. I swung across the street, throwing a blackout into the window, black smoke obscuring everything inside. I turned the night-vision lenses in my mask on and swung into the now smashed window.

That's when things went wrong. Some unknown force slammed me into a wall, holding me in place, knocking off the night-vision in my mask. An unnatural wind blew all the smoke out of the broken window. I looked down at what was holding me in place so tightly. When I saw a large, black hand holding me I thought it might have been Raven's work. But this didn't look like her mystical energy; this looked more like a solid, living shadow.

"Hello Robin, it's a pleasure to make you acquaintance."

I noticed the two men standing in the room for the first time. I didn't know the five foot tall man. He was completely bold and had a whisper thin moustache and pointed ears. His shoes, pants and jumper were dark grey. He was twitching nervously, as if he was anticipating something. I had a sinking feeling that it probably involved me.

I did know the other man however. He was known as the Shade, and he worried me. He was six foot tall, wore smart shoes, a black suit, sunglasses, a top hat and a cane. It was his power that was holding me in place. I wasn't sure on what exactly he could do, I just knew it had something to do with controlling shadows.

"I think it is prudent that I introduce us," the Shade said, tipping his hat slightly, "I am the Shade; my companion is known as Multi-Man." I remembered hearing the name somewhere, but I wasn't sure what he could do. "Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself why we've captured you."

I just nodded. I thought it best to conserve my energy for trying to escape. Though after flexing all my muscles I couldn't find a weakness in the large, black hand.

"First of all I must tell you a little about us," the Shade continued, oblivious to my escape attempts, "we are both immortals though each of us also have different abilities. We will far out live any mortal alive today. But in the sort time that we have been immortals, we have grown to dislike it. But I have since found a way to remove these curses. I first tried to get rid of my power alone, however I discovered that whomever I tried to pass this curse onto died, instantly sending the power straight back to me. However I did discover Multi-Man here on my travels. I had intended to pass on my own power to him; however we came to an agreement. You see if we passed his curse onto someone else, then I could pass mine on to the same person. But it has to be to a physically superior person."

I froze. It was alarmingly obvious where this little story was leading, "You mean…"

"We were originally going to go after Batman tonight and use him. However he is currently occupied with the Legion of Doom. We were going to give up and try another night as we had no desire to tangle with the League. But then luckily, for us at least, we happened upon this morning's copy of the Daily Planet, and saw that you had survived an evening of passion with the Kryptonian girl. You seem to be a valid candidate," the Shade smirked.

I ground my teeth silently. Whoever wrote that story was going to pay dearly when I got out of this. If I got out of this.

"Enough talk Shade," Multi-Man said, looking me up and down. He probably doubted this would work, that didn't make me feel any better. I struggled harder against the hand. It didn't help.

"Of course my friend, step forward," I watched curiously as Multi-Man stepped up next to the Shade. My curiosity turned to horror as the Shade's hand sank into Multi-Man's chest, yet left no mark or blood. Dark energy was twisting out of Multi-Man's hand, twisting along the Shade's arm.

My struggles were useless as the Shade's other hand plunged through my body armour and into my chest the same as Multi-Man. I cried out in pain as I felt his hand clutching my heart. The energy from Multi-Man suddenly shot up the Shade's arm, across his body, down the other arm and into my chest. It was pain unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, every nerve in body felt as if it were on fire. The top half of my costume burned away with black fire. I blacked out.

I came back to consciousness fully expecting to be dead; it already felt like I was. I could feel blood dripping out of every orifice on my head. My blurred vision, started to come back into focus, though it was still very fuzzy. Multi-Man, or possibly a hobbit since I was probably hallucinating, was bobbing up and down with excitement.

"It worked, I can't believe it worked," the Multi-Man/hobbit said joyfully. Then he suddenly stopped bouncing, "we have to make sure though. You know what to do Shade?"

"Of course my friend," who I assumed was Shade said, thought it could have been Mr. Peanut. He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out what looked like a fish, pointing it at Multi-hobbit, "goodbye."

**BANG**

The loud bang shocked me. I scrunched up my eyes, to get them to focus properly. As I looked on with fresh eyes I saw it was the Shade and not Mr. Peanut, he had a Desert Eagle, not a fish in his hand, and the man laid on the floor with a hole in his head certainly wasn't a hobbit.

Though I could barely grasp what was happening, I tried to say something, anything. But all that came out of my mouth were a couple of feeble, gargled mumbles. Though it did have the desired effect of having the Shade look at me.

"One last time Robin," I tried to protest, I didn't think my body could take anymore. But again all I could manage was some mumbling, "Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

This felt different than the first time. Though my veins still felt like they were pumping fire, it also seemed like I was filling up with something. I watched as the shadows from all over the room moved across the floor, up the wall and sank into my skin. I saw the black drain from the Shade's clothing, moving down his arm and into my chest, leaving his clothes pristine white.

Then, what little conscience I had left, noticed the large, black hand melting into my body. And since I had no other support, once the Shade pulled his hand from my chest I dropped to the ground like a dead weight.

I valiantly tried to push myself up on to my hands, as the darkness started to come in around my vision, beckoning me into unconsciousness. My arms wobbled under the strain and I collapsed to my side.

I watched as the Shade took my communicator out of my belt, there was nothing I could do at this point to stop him. Out of my sight I heard him open it and talk to someone.

"Hello, your friend Robin is here with me. We are in the Swan Hotel on Victoria and 42nd. We are on the top floor, room 7B. You'd best hurry; I think he might need some medical attention."

All I heard after that was the sound of the hammer being pulled back on the Desert Eagle as I blacked out.

**BANG**

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yet another cliff-hanger, I'm going to a special kind of hell. The same place they keep the people that talk during movies.

I don't know how it is in America, but in England gossip takes up more space in the newspapers than actual news. My annoyance at this partially inspired this chapter.

Since Raven is a vampire, and Terra will eventually become one, I wanted to make Robin something else. I wanted him to have similar powers as Raven, but I also wanted him to have something else, which is were Multi-Man comes in. I think some of you will know who the Shade is, but the only person I expect to know who Multi-Man is, is my loyal reviewer leader. But that's only because I think he has read the comic where Nightwing killed the Joker. If anyone else knows who he is I'd be pleasantly surprised. Don't worry if you don't though, I'll be explaining more about him and the Shade in either the next chapter or the one after.

**Next Chapter:** Death of a Titan… although not exactly.


	10. The Boy Wonder

**Author's Notes:** There is a bit of angst in this chapter. Now as I've said I'm not very good with the whole angst thing, I prefer to read, and write, stories that make you feel good. But unfortunately its integral to the story. It won't travel on to the next chapter though, so if you like that kind of thing you'll have to get your fill now. Enjoy.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Beta'd By:** Daybreak25

**Chapter Ten:** The Boy Wonder

* * *

Cyborg was trying to take his mind off of current events.

The recent revelation of Robin's sex life had struck a nerve with the metal teen. He could understand the Boy Wonder's need to for secrecy. It was all part of being a superhero to keep secrets. And considering he used to work with Batman, he could see how that would make him emotionally distant. That didn't stop it from hurting.

Cyborg had shared a lot with the Boy Wonder. He had talked about his dates, his crushes; he had even talked about a few fantasies. Admittedly it had mostly been under cocky, male bravado, but he knew that Robin would have detected the genuine feelings underneath. In fact the only girl that Cyborg hadn't mentioned he liked was Jinx, but that was only because she had once trashed the tower, and because Robin's thoughts on any villain other than Slade were unknown. Another thing he kept to himself.

But Cyborg wasn't trying to think about all that now. He was busy downloading all the files from the hard drive Raven had taken from the Master of Games. She gave it to him after he came back from the Pizza Parlour with the other Titans. She hadn't gone into details about how she got it, but Cyborg had the sinking feeling that a very expensive piece of hardware had been destroyed in the process.

The files were on every single super powered being Cyborg had ever heard of, and quite a few he hadn't. They were all incredibly detailed, listing not only power level, but names, addresses, personal histories, friends, acquaintances, and even lovers. There was stuff here that even the Justice League's files didn't have.

Cyborg paused as he came up to Robin's file. He was very tempted to open it. A part of him told him not to, that it would be betraying Robin's trust to read it, that his friend would tell him more about himself when he was ready. But another part of him, the part he really wanted to listen too, told him that Robin might never tell him anything and that this was possibly his only chance to answer all the questions he had about his friend. Cyborg sat staring at his computer screen for almost ten minutes, his hand hovering over the mouse, waiting for his brain to make a decision.

He never got the chance to decide however as the communicator in his arm beeped. Cyborg looked at the caller ID and saw it was Robin. The paranoid part of him though that Robin was calling him to tell him not to read his file. He shook the thought from his head as he answered the call. Not even Robin was that good. At least he hoped not.

**/Hello/** Cyborg froze. That wasn't Robin's voice. He didn't need the voice recognition software in his cybernetic ear to know that, **/your friend Robin is here with me. We are in the Swan Hotel on Victoria and 42nd. We are on the top floor, room 7B./** While he was still in shock, Cyborg's robotic brain was searching for blueprints on the hotel, **/you'd best hurry; I think he might need some medical attention./**

The next thing Cyborg heard was a gunshot, which was obvious even to his human ear. He brain shut down with shock for a few seconds. By the time he finally realised he needed to act, he was thankful to find his body was already running towards the Ops-Room. Sometimes it paid to have a part robotic brain take over for you.

He ran into the room and straight up to Raven, pulling her away from her conversation with Terra and on to her feet, "I need you to teleport me to the Victoria and 42nd, right now."

Raven was shocked by Cyborg's actions and tried to protest, "Cyborg I was…"

"NOW RAVEN!" Cyborg yelled scaring everyone in the room, "I've no time for stupid questions – just do it!"

With a flash of black energy, both Titans were gone.

When they arrived on Victoria and 42nd, Cyborg didn't waste anytime answering Raven's questions, he just ran to the Swan Hotel, barging through the doors.

Cyborg ignored everyone inside, shoving aside those that got in his way and storming up the stairs, the shock absorbers in his feet the only things stopping him from smashing them to pieces.

As he reached the seventh floor and found the right room, his cybernetic eye scanned through the door with thermal imaging. When he saw to cold bodies and one still warm, all three of them on the floor, Cyborg wasted no time in smashed the door to splinters.

He quickly assessed the room. There were two obviously dead men, both with bullet wounds to the head and with plenty of blood around them. Robin lay on the floor in front of them, topless with what was left of the top half of his uniform smouldering on the floor near by. He was also laying in what Cyborg guessed must be his own blood.

Moving quickly, Cyborg picked up Robin's communicator and the book lying next to it, he assumed it was his as it had his name on the cover. He pulled the sheets from the bed in the corner and wrapped Robin in it before he picked him up. He tried desperately to ignore the blood trails coming from every orifice in the Boy Wonder's face.

"Oh my god."

Cyborg turned to the door at the sound of the voice. Raven had finally caught up with him. She was covering her mouth with both hands and it looked like tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Take us back to the tower, Raven," Cyborg said urgently, "we need to get to the Med-Lab."

Raven didn't try to question him this time. With another flash of black energy, the Titans Med-Lab was suddenly all around them, Cyborg rushing to work immediately.

Cyborg placed Robin on the nearest bed, throwing the cheap hotel sheets to the side, and activating the medical scanners. It took five seconds to scan Robin's physiology and diagnose him. Cyborg frowned in confusion.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Raven asked, unable to hide the panic in her voice, "what's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?"

Cyborg ignored all of her questions as he looked at the results of the scan. According to it the only thing Robin was suffering from was extreme exhaustion. That definitely didn't account for the blood that he saw, or how pale Robin was.

Feeling the need to do a more thorough check, Cyborg added various electrodes to Robin's body and head. He peeled of Robin's mask then paused. He needed to check how his eyes responded, but he didn't know whether or not Robin would want him to see his eye colour. He ultimately decided that making sure Robin wasn't in any danger was more important right now.

But as he held open Robin's eye to check his pupils, Raven's shocked gasp drew his attention, "what's wrong Raven?"

"His… his eyes," Raven said, her hands covering her mouth, "they're… red."

* * *

By the time Cyborg was confident that there was nothing wrong with Robin it was one o'clock in the morning. The other Titans had all turned up once they had heard what happened from Raven. They were all very concerned and wanted to help in some way. Cyborg eventually had to kick them all out of the Med-Lab just to get any work done.

When he eventually decided he had to go and recharge his power cell, he had to practically order the others to go to bed. He even had to convince Terra to drag Raven to her room, and secretly slip her a sedative, just to make sure she got some sleep.

The following morning and Cyborg entered to Med-Lab bright and early to check Robin was still okay. Not that he needed to as his systems were linked to all of Robin's monitors. If there was the slightest chance that Robin was in danger, Cyborg would be the first to know about it.

Cyborg was barely in the room for five minutes when Raven walk in, quickly followed by Terra. Raven glared at Cyborg but didn't say anything, she moved over next to Robin's bed, placing her hands over his body and making them glow with magical energy.

"What are you doing Raven?" Cyborg asked, moving to stand on the opposite side of Robin's bed. He didn't want her to try healing when he wasn't even sure what was wrong with Robin.

"I sensed a powerful magical aura in Robin that's never been there before," Raven said, moving her hands up and down the length of Robin's body, "it's like nothing I've even felt before. I was going to try and sense what it was last night but somebody made me go to bed." She shot Cyborg another glare before continuing to scan Robin's body.

"Is that what's wrong with him?" Cyborg asked. He didn't particularly like magic. It seemed too wild to him, too chaotic. And, unlike learning how to make a computer or make a sonic cannon, it wasn't something everybody could do. And just having a few people, most of them slightly deranged, have the power to basically rewrite reality was just bad as far as he was concerned. Especially when it hurt his friends.

"It must be," Raven said with a sigh, "unless you can think of a reason why he's so pale when the scanners say he hasn't lost any blood. And why his eyes are suddenly red."

"His eyes are red?" Terra asked, clearly shocked. When Raven just nodded yes, she let out a disappointed sigh, "damn, he had such beautiful blues eyes."

"Wait, what?" Cyborg said, looking to Terra, "how the hell do you know what colour his eyes were?"

"He… showed them to me," Terra said, unsure what the problem was, "it was during a mission a couple of days ago."

"He just showed you?" Cyborg asked in a disbelieving tone, "why?"

"I… asked him to."

Cyborg was about to go into a rant about how Robin never showed him when he asked, with a whole sub-rant asking what made Terra so special, when he realised something and stopped himself.

He had never asked Robin if he could see his eyes.

Cyborg felt like kicking himself. Of all the numerous unanswered questions he had about the Boy Wonder, he had only ever asked him about what girls he had slept with. He felt like a jerk. Robin probably didn't want to talk about who he had slept with because he was respectful of women. And here he was moaning because he didn't have answers to questions he never even bothered to ask.

Maybe he was right and Robin wouldn't tell him anything about his personal life. But he'd never know unless he asked. Cyborg made a silent promise to himself to sit down with his friend and have a frank talk about their lives. And possibly make it up to Robin for ever doubting him.

He pushed those thoughts a side for now to concentrate on getting Robin back on his feet. "Is there anything you can do to help him?"

"I don't know," Raven said, stopping her hands from glowing and putting them at her side, "it doesn't seem malevolent from what I'm sensing. If anything, whatever is inside him seems to be quite beneficial, but I can't be a hundred percent. I could check my books but it seems like a better idea to call the League. They have magic users that have been practicing for decades. But, when you call them, make sure then they don't send Zatanna. We don't exactly get along."

Cyborg didn't get to make the call as the alert alarm sounded, there was crime to fight. Cyborg, Raven and Terra were about to head to the Ops-Room to find out what the trouble was when Robin sat bolt upright on the bed, his heartbeat spiking and his wide eyes darting about rapidly.

"Robin, lay down, you need your rest," Raven said as she and Terra try to force him back down on the bed.

"No… I'm… needed…" Robin said. He was obviously still tired, but the surge in adrenaline was keeping him awake.

"Robin, please," Terra said trying to hold him down; even tired he was still stronger than her, "you were attacked last night. You still haven't fully recovered."

"Doesn't… matter…" Robin said, shaking his head, "people still… need help…"

"We can do this without you," Raven insisted.

Cyborg didn't bother trying to reason with him. He simply injected Robin with a sedative. Robin's eyes slowly fluttered shut as he fell back on the bed asleep, his breathing and heartbeat evening out.

"That ought to keep him out for a couple of hours," Cyborg said as he moved towards the door, "that'll give us plenty of time to sort out whatever crime is being committed. We'll be back before he knows it. Literally."

As Raven followed Cyborg to the Ops-Room Terra held back, giving Robin a quick kiss on the forehead. "Feel better," she said before running after the others.

No one saw Robin's heartbeat start to pickup again.

* * *

The mood in the T-Car wasn't very positive.

With Robin being in the Med-Lab, the Titans confidence was shot. Even though they had fought a few successful missions while Robin was in Gotham, most of the Titans could still remember the three times they hadn't had the Boy Wonder at their sides and had failed miserably. Even though admittedly two of those times they had been fighting Robin.

The Titans were being called out to deal with a few members of the HIVE that where tearing up an older section of Jump City, full of abandoned factories. There was really no point to their rampage as most of the factories were scheduled to be torn down or turned into apartments soon anyway. Even Starfire, who was naive about most things, could see this was a set up.

When they were still far enough away that the HIVE wouldn't notice them, Cyborg used his telescopic vision to see who they were dealing with. Mammoth and Gizmo were there as usual, along with Private HIVE and See-More, whose arm was in a sling for some reason. Various copies of Billy Numerous were there too, along with the red eyed, green skinned alien wearing a blue costume with an arrow pointing upwards on his chest. Cyborg checked his memory and found the aliens name was XL Terrestrial. Considering he was forty feet tall and smashing his fists into buildings it seemed appropriate. Cyborg wasn't really worried about any of them as the Titans had beat them all on various occasions and he had a number of plans to deal with them quickly. It was the other three that he was worried about.

Cinderblock, Plasmus and Overload were smashing, melting and blasting electricity in to various buildings respectively. It wasn't them on their own that worried him; it was the man they all worked for. Slade. Now Cyborg knew it was a set-up.

The HIVE members and Slade's minions were obviously trying to draw the Titans out, causing lots of unnecessary damage. The road in front of the T-Car was cracked to such an extent that it turned part of the pavement into a usable ramp. Cyborg was surely tempted to rally the car up it and attempt to land on one of the bad guys. Good sense stopped him from trying it. Thankfully he had been developing a new toy that would work much better.

"Hey look, it's the Titans," Mammoth said, pointing down the street to where he noticed the T-Car parked, "and just as I was starting to think they wouldn't show."

Mammoths smile faded as he saw something being fired from the T-Car. He braced himself as a little, light blue ball, about the size of a tennis ball, bounced off his chest and landed on the floor with out incident.

"What kind of nonsense was that?" Mammoth shouted down the street, shooting the Titans a big, smug, toothy grin. This turned out to be a mistake.

The little, light blue ball in question was something that Cyborg had been working on with the help of the designs his father had sent him in the mail. Cyborg was very proud of the little, light blue ball. Because it wasn't little, light blue ball. It was a sonic grenade. And its countdown finished as Mammoth smiled.

The cushion of sonic energy blasting from the grenade knocked Mammoth off his feet and into Private HIVE, See-More and a couple of Billy Numerous'. All of the bad guys, except Gizmo, who wears ear pugs to lessen the noise from his laser blasters, Plasmus and Overload, who don't really have ears, and XL Terrestrial, who was too big for the sound to properly reach him, were rolling about on the floor clutching their bleeding ears. They would suffer from ringing ears and headaches for a couple of days.

The Titans quickly got out of the T-Car and spread themselves out, waiting for Cyborg's orders, "hit them hard and fast guys," he said, activating his arm cannon, "we need to deal with this quickly and get back to Robin." Starfire and Beast Boy took to the air while the other Titans ran towards the enemy.

Unfortunately for the Titans their fallen foes didn't stay down for long. Once they saw the Titans attacking they got back on to their feet, shaking slightly due to their equilibrium being damaged in the sonic blast.

Aqua Lad had just punched out two of Billy's copies when a large hand crabbed him, pinning both arms to his side and pulling him up to face Mammoth.

"No watttter here fissssh boy," Mammoth slurred, spitting out blood and pieces of his shattered teeth. As his mouth had been clenched in a smile when the sonic grenade went off, the blast had caused his teeth to shatter into pieces. Even with the pain endurance training he had received at the HIVE, he was hard pressed not to cry out in pain. He certainly couldn't stop the tears in his eyes. "What'cha gonna fight wit now?"

Aqua Lad smiled knowingly, "who says I just need water to fight?"

Without warning a purple optic blast shot out of Aqua Lad's eyes and struck Mammoth in the face, breaking his nose. Mammoth dropped Aqua Lad to the ground, clutching his face as blood poured out of his nose and he cried out in pain.

"Need a hand there dude?" Cyborg asked, knocking aside a Billy and running up to Aqua Lad.

"I'd love one," Aqua Lad said with a grin.

They both punched Mammoth as hard as they could. He flew into the air from the force, travelling fifty feet before hitting the street with a heavy thud.

Terra was fully enjoying herself. She was easily beating Private Hive, See-More and various Billy's with everything Robin had taught her. With roundhouse kicks, rabbit punches and a number of judo flips she was having a brilliant time. That is until she saw something in the corner of her eye. Slade. He was stood in the doorway of a nearby building. As she stopped to stare at him, he turned around and ran into the darkness.

Raven was busy containing Plasmus in a black force field when she saw Terra running into one of the factories. She was about to follow when she felt a disturbing presence. She turned back to see a young man about the same age as her. He was completely bold, with incredibly pale skin and dangerous red eyes. He wore black boots, black pants and a blood red jumper; over it all he wore a long black trench coat. There was something about this boy that Raven didn't like. He had a dark presence that was beyond anything she had ever felt before. And yet, it was strangely familiar.

"Hello Raven," he said with a sinister smile and a disturbingly hollow voice, "my name is Psimon. And I am…"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying as Raven blasted him off his feet. Before he hit the ground Raven was running into the abandoned factory after Terra.

Psimon laughed maniacally as he got back on to his feet. He looked up to see Starfire flying down to attack him. His eyes glowed blue with psychic energy as he pushed his mind onto hers.

"_I am not here princess,"_ he said altering her memories and perceptions, _"forget you ever saw me."_

Starfire stopped in midair, looking about in confusion, wondering what she was doing. She eventually flew up to XL Terrestrial, hitting him so hard that he fell back against one of the buildings. Psimon walked off, watching the chaos and destruction going on around him.

Cyborg dived behind an abandoned car to avoid the blasts from Gizmo and Overload and the sludge from Plasmus. These three were always trouble. He sat there, busily working his computerised brain to try and figure out a way to take all three of them out when Beast Boy flew down as a hawk next to him, turning back to his human form, his hair smoking.

"We're starting to get in trouble Cy," Beast Boy said, patting his head to stop his hair from catching fire, "if you're going to pull a plan out of your ass you might want to stand up."

Cyborg frowned at his green friend, "if you give me a second I'll try to come up with a plan."

He needn't have bothered though. They heard the sound of a motorbike and turned to look down the street in time to see Robin, with Matthew Wildebeest on his back, rally up the ramp made from the broken road into the air.

Gizmo, who was flying on his jetpack, looked up at the noise just in time to see Robin flip off his bike and slam both his feet into the midget's chest, forcing him out of the air. Gizmo hit the ground hard while Robin landed next to him gracefully. Gizmo rolled about on the floor clutching his broken ribs a crying out in pain. Robin quickly threw an exploding disc at a nearby fire hydrant, blowing it up and making the water soak Overload, shorting him out. In the same instant Robin threw a small capsule into Plasmus' body. Plasmus started chuckling, until the chemicals inside the capsule mixed with his body, hardening him into a statue. He fell over with a heavy clunk, immobile.

At the same time all this happened Mammoth got back to his feet. He looked up in time to see the motorbike flying towards him. Purely on instinct he reached out and caught it. He had a sloppy smile on his face, at least until he saw Robin hitting a detonator switch. The bike exploded in a fireball, burning the hair from Mammoths body but only giving his toughened skinned second degree burns.

Robin turned to see Cyborg, Beast Boy and Aqua Lad all looking at him in awe. He smirked at them, "you can do this without me can you?"

"That… that was amazing," Aqua Lad said in awe. He had heard of Robin's fighting skills, but he had never seen him go full out like that. He was just as impressive as everyone said he was.

The Titan's attentions were drawn as Mammoth let out a murderous howl. Mad with pain and anger.

"Matthew," Robin said simply to the little boy on his back.

Matthew jumped off Robin's back, running towards Mammoth as he transformed into his Wildebeest form. Mammoth was too crazy with pain to notice what was happening until Wildebeest gave him a bone crunching punch. After that he was much too disorientated to stop the manimal from beating the crap out of him. Mammoth wasn't having a very good day.

"Friend-Robin," Starfire yelled as she flew down to him, looking very upset, "what is the meaning of this? How could you bring the little one here to all this danger?"

"He's a Titan, Star," Robin said unemotionally, "we know he can fight so why shouldn't he? He did beat Beast Boy after all." Beast Boy grumbled at the memory but otherwise remained quiet. "Where are Raven and Terra?"

Starfire didn't comment on Robin's opinion of Matthew. She knew better than to question him, "I believe I saw them enter that building over there friend-Robin."

Robin ran towards the building she indicated while shouting orders to the other Titans, "I'll try to find them. The rest of you deal with the rest of these villains."

The other Titans got to work with new confidence. The kind only Robin could inspire in them.

* * *

Terra ran into the factory, her eyes darting about in search of the enemy. She knew Slade was trouble, and probably a little more than she could handle. But she also knew how much Robin wanted him to be taken down. And with the Boy Wonder held up in the Med-Lab with god-knows-what inside him, she thought it would be nice for him to wake to find Slade was behind bars.

Terra was just deciding which way to go and look when a hand gripped her shoulder. Acting purely on instinct, Terra grabbed the hand and flipped the person attached to it over her shoulder before getting into a fighting stance. She was shocked to see Raven lying on the floor, groaning from the fall.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," Terra said apologetically, helping Raven back onto her feet, "I guess I'm just a bit jumpy."

Raven frowned as she rubbed her back, "what are you doing in here?"

"I saw Slade come in here."

Raven's eyes widened, "are you crazy? You can't go after him on your own. Slade should only be tackled by all the Titans, and even then only when Robin is with us."

"I know you're right," Terra said, looking away guiltily, "I just… thought I'd take care of him. You know, for Robin."

Raven frowned at Terra. She suspected that she only mentioned Robin because she knew that then she would be more willing to go along with her. Especially with his recent attack. Raven bit her lip as she tried to decide on what to do.

"We'll have to split up," Raven said with a sigh, "it'll be easier to find him that way."

Terra perked up considerable. She gave Raven a quick peck on the lips and smiled, "thanks."

"I don't think you'll be thanking be after we fight him," Raven said, running off to the left, "be sure to send me a telepathic signal if you get in trouble."

"Yes mistress," Terra said, chuckling when she heard Raven growl, she watched Raven run out of sight before she ran off to the right."

Terra made her way steadily through the factory. She wasn't as comfortable in the darkness as Raven was. Too many chances for something to jump out at her.

She made her way out on to the factory floor. All off the machinery had long been removed from it, though there was still a lot of shadow in here. The high, dusty windows did little to brighten the place. Terra could hear the other Titans fighting on the other side of the wall. She hoped they were doing okay without her and Raven to help. She stood in the centre of the room, wondering where she should look next.

"Hello Terra."

Terra spun towards the voice. She could just make out his outline in the shadows, "Lurking about like some creepy old paedophile, Slade. Seems about right for you. Well… come on and attack if you're going to."

Slade chuckled, but it was mirthless, "actually I'm here to offer you a job."

"What?" Terra asked in a disbelieving tone.

"I asked you to be my apprentice once before and you turned me down," Slade said, never leaving the shadows, "I'm here to give you another chance to reconsider. Join me, and you will become better than you ever hoped. You belong at my side."

"I'm already where I belong," Terra said angrily, "I'm a Titan. And since you obviously weren't listening the last time I'll say it again. Shove your job offer."

Slade let out a sigh, "disappointing."

Terra saw the flash from the gun barrel and heard the gun shot. But by then it was too late.

* * *

When Robin entered the factory he was surprised how clear everything was. Everything that should have been in shadow seemed to be slightly clearer than everything in the light. He couldn't explain it. He knew for a fact that he hadn't activated the night vision in his mask. Even if he did it wouldn't have been this clear.

He pushed his curiosity on this to the back of his mind. Right now he had to find Raven and Terra. He ran off to the right hoping they chose to go this way.

When Robin stepped on to the factory floor he spotted Terra standing in the centre of the room. Talking to Slade. His father. His feelings from the past two days almost came to the surface. Then he saw the gun Slade was levelling at Terra's head, and he reacted.

He ran towards Terra at full speed. Once he was close enough he jumped, pushing Terra down with one hand and throwing a birdarang at Slade with the other. His last thought was that he had save Terra.

Then the gun fired and he didn't think anymore.

* * *

Terra had the breath knocked out of her as she hit the ground and the person who pushed her landed on top of her. She looked at the hand draped over her and immediately recognised the green glove. She was thankful, as she was sure Robin had just saved her life, but she was also angry that Robin was even here when he was supposed to be resting. Though she was probably more worried than angry.

"What are you doing here Robin?" she asked as she pushed him off her and turned to look a t him, "you're supposed to be…"

The words died in Terra's throat as the colour drained from her face. Robin, the boy she though could do anything, the boy she was stating to love, was lying there with a bullet wound in his forehead.

"Robin?" she said barely above a whisper, shaking him as though she didn't believe he was really there. "Robin," she said more urgently, franticly shaking him as though trying to wake him up. "ROBIN," she screamed out as realisation hit her like a ton of bricks, tears streaming down her face.

"Look what you've done you stupid girl," Slade yelled at her angrily, pulling the birdarang from his arm, "you can't even die properly. You had…"

His words were drowned out as Terra screamed in rage. A large rocky spike jutted out of the ground in front if Slade. It wasn't sharp enough to pierce his armour, bit it did knock him through the wall and on to the street where the others were fighting.

Terra wasted no time in chasing after him, rocks flying up from the ground to cover her in armour as she jumped out on to the street.

Slade was in trouble. He had managed to get to his feet but that wasn't much help. Terra wasn't a better fighter than him, but the ferocity of her attacks made it almost impossible to block them all. Not to mention her rocky armour was deflecting all his hits. Then he spotted Psimon, the newest HIVE member, standing off to the side and watching with avid interest.

**/Psimon/** Slade yelled over the private comm.-link he had between his minions, **/instead of just watching why don't you help/**

**/What's the matter Slade/** Psimon asked, smirking, **/you can't handle a 90 pound girl and a few pebbles/**

Slade growled. This new HIVE student was far too cocky for his own good. He'd have to be taken down a peg or two some time soon. **/Do something now or I promise you'll regret it./**

Psimon didn't look scared in the slightest, though he did let out a little frustrated sigh, **_/very well then./_**

As Psimon's eyes glowed with psychic energy, the rocks fell of Terra's body. She looked about in confusion, tears still streaming down her face.

**/What did you do/**Slade asked, looking between Terra and Psimon.

**/Well, basically, I stalled her psychic powers. She won't be able to use her powers for the next ten minutes/** Psimon said in a bored tone, inspecting his nails.

Slade cracked his knuckles menacingly, **/perfect./**

* * *

When Raven heard the gun shot her blood froze. She flew towards where she heard the sound, phasing through the doors and walls in her way. She could feel Terra's rage blazing across the psychic plane. Raven just prayed she wasn't hurt.

Raven phased through the wall onto the factory floor. She saw the big hole in the wall and almost flew through it. Then she saw Robin's body on the floor and her heart stopped.

All the emotion seemed to drain from her body as she saw the boy she was in love with on the floor. Raven floated over to him in a daze, still not believing what she saw. She got down on her knees next to him and pulled his head on to her lap.

And then she broke down.

Raven cried hard, something she could never remember doing before. She clutched Robin close as despair took over. Then anger woke up. Raven's eyes turned red and her teeth sharpened, she was ready to tear apart whoever was responsible for this.

And then Robin sat up.

He screamed in pain, scaring the life out of Raven, clutching his back and forehead.

"SHIT," Robin screamed in agony, "I don't know what's worse. The burning of my back or my splitting headache."

Raven couldn't respond, she was too shocked. Robin was dead. She knew he was. Even if her senses were off, the bullet wound in his head was unmistakable. She watched in morbid fascination as the bullet popped out of his forehead and the wound healed itself. She wouldn't have believed it if she didn't see it herself.

"What happened?" Robin asked, rubbing his head. The pain in his back had receded, "I just remember pushing…"

He didn't get to finish as Raven kissed him. He was too shocked to do anything but except it. It wasn't full of passion or lust, but love and desperation, as if she wasn't sure if she would get another chance to kiss him. When she finally came up for air, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed onto his shoulder.

"I… I… I thought," Raven said, crying with joy, "I thought you were… dead."

"Raven…" Robin said, patting her back to try and comfort her.

"You were dead… and… and… and there was nothing I could do."

"Raven," Robin said as she held her at arms, trying to sound comforting and serious at the same time, "I want to talk to you about this, really I do. But right now we have work to do, okay?"

Raven wiped her eyes on the edge of her cloak and nodded.

"Good girl," Robin said with a soft smile, before his face turned deadly serious, "now, where is Terra? Where is Slade?"

* * *

Slade now had the upper hand against Terra. Without the rocks to protect her, and the shock of her abilities not working distracting her, allowed Slade to beat her with ease.

In short time he had her knocked to the ground, bleeding a bruised. His minions were happily keeping the Titans at bay while he worked. Slade pulled a bowie knife from its holster at his waist. He was going to enjoy finishing her off.

At least he was until something hit him in the chest. He looked down to see one of Robin's exploding discs stuck there, just in time for it to explode. It blew him away from Terra. He hit the ground and rolled for a couple of feet. As he pushed himself on to his hands and knees another disc landed underneath him. The resulting explosion knocked him spinning up in the air and in to a wall. He dropped down into a heap.

As Slade sat up, he looked up to see Robin standing above him. Robin grabbed Slade by the neck and pulled him up on to his, before punching him back down. Robin pulled him back up again and punched him in the stomach, then uppercutted him back against the wall. Slade tried to slash the Boy Wonder with the knife. Robin grabbed Slade's hand at the wrist, placed his other hand on his chest and pulled. Slade's arm ripped from his body, leaving a shower of sparks and gears in its wake.

**/Well done Robin/** Slade said as the mask fell away from the robo-Slade to reveal a video screen, **/how could you tell it was a robot/**

"You're assuming that I even cared Slade," Robin said, casually throwing the arm aside.

**/How very… ruthless of you/** Slade chuckled before he became serious, **/how did you survive a gunshot to the head Robin/**

"It only grazed the skull, knocked me out - that's all," Rabin lied skilfully. He knew it would be a stupid idea to let Slade know that he could suddenly survive death.

Slade didn't comment. He couldn't really tell in the darkness of the factory, this robot was fitted with night vision. **/You're very lucky Robin, so are your friends. I doubt you'll always be so…/**

"Shut up Slade," Robin said angrily, "if you want to try and take me down then you're welcome to try. But if you or any of your lackeys come at me through my friends again, I'll make you sorry."

Slade laughed, **/What are you going to do Robin? Kill me/**

"No Slade," Robin said with a sinister smile, "but what about your kids?"

Slade's laughter stopped dead.

"That's right Slade," Robin said, his smile lengthening, "I know you have kids. Two boys and a girl right? It wouldn't take much to find them. And I know how much you hate to lose what's yours."

**/…you're bluffing Robin. You and I both know you're no killer./**

"Who says I have to kill them? Batman taught me a lot about torture. I know how to keep someone alive for months with blood transfusions and IV drips. Not to mention I have access to Scarecrow's fear gas. I can make them afraid to eat, to drink. I can make them so afraid of their own skin that they would be willing to slice it all off. I've seen it happen. And through all the torture, all the fear and blood, I'll make sure that they know it's all. Your. Fault."

Slade didn't say anything at fist, but Robin knew he was furious under that mask. **/Very well Robin. I won't touch your… friends. But don't think this is the end of things. You and I have unfinished business./**

The image of Slade cut out and the robot fizzled and smoked as it burned out. Robin let it drop to the ground and turned away. All of Slade's minions had already been taken down by the Titans and were being tied up. They all suddenly disappeared in a flash of bright light. Teleportation. Robin expected this but it was still annoying.

Robin looked over to Terra. She was already being healed by Raven and she looked just a shocked as Raven had when he sat up. Without warning both girls jumped and ran to him, wrapping their arms around his neck. Robin was shocked; he never thought they would display their emotions in public. They both seemed to realise this at the same time, as they both let go of him and stepped back.

"How…?" Terra said, looking Robin up and down in confusion, her eyes still puffy from crying, "how did…?"

"I have no idea," Robin answered honestly; "I think… we're going to have to call the League."

* * *

Slade was not happy.

He sat in his underground lair pondering how his plan could have gone so wrong. He had set the whole thing up to try and lure Robin away to fight his robot. He wanted more information on Robin's fighting style. But he wasn't there to begin with. Then her thought he could get revenge on Terra for turning down his offer. But he ended up hitting Robin instead, and he was still kicking himself for not having any decent footage of that. Then to top it all of he had caved into Robin's threats. The anger over that was almost too much to bear. Robin wasn't going to get away with that.

Slade called up Brother Blood on the video-phone. It was answered almost immediately.

"I've been expecting your call Slade," Brother Blood said with a sigh, "I take it you'll be wanting a full refund?"

"I was actually calling to thank you for the use of your students," Slade said seriously, "they preformed as well as I thought they would and I am more than willing to use their services in the future. I was disappointed that Jinx wasn't able to join them."

Brother Blood let out another sigh, "I've given up trying to find her. The government took her for the Suicide Squad and I haven't heard from her since. If she isn't dead then I won't find her anyway. She's too good to be found if she doesn't want to be."

"Her replacement wasn't much help, and more than a little insolent."

"Psimon," Blood said knowingly and with a frown, "he is still new to the HIVE and has yet to learn his place. Don't worry though; I'll see to it that he does. Personally."

Slade nodded in satisfaction, then he saw the teenager standing behind the HIVE headmaster. He looked very similar to the headmaster except he was obviously an albino. He wore a HIVE uniform and a very sombre expression. "I don't appreciate our conversations being shared with others."

Brother Blood looked confused. He turned to look at the boy then turned back with a smile, "not to worry Slade. This is my son Sebastian. I'm training him up to follow in my foot steps. You know who it is with your own children; you only want the best for them."

"Yes, you do," Slade agreed as he turned off the video-phone.

"Are you okay daddy?"

Slade turned to look at his children. They were all dressed in identical uniforms. The body armours were the same as his except half of the torso was black and the other was orange. They wore masks the covered the top half of their heads with the same half tones ad the body armour. They stood to attention waiting for their father to give out orders.

Slade smiled behind his mask, "I'm fine Rose. I trust you've all studied the footage from the HIVE's battle with the Titans?"

"Yes father," Grant and Rose said at the same time. Joey just nodded.

"Any comments?"

"Robin showed great skill," Grant said, "taking out Gizmo, Plasmus, Overload and Mammoth all within seconds of each other was nothing short of amazing. He should obviously not be underestimated."

"And of course he did threaten all of you," Slade said darkly, "I would deal with him myself, but I think it's time for you all to get your hands dirty."

"Don't worry daddy," Rose said with smile, "the Ravagers will teach Robin a lesson he won't forget."

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Quite a bit of Cyborg action in this chapter. I thought he was being neglected in this fic, he seemed to always be in the garage and I thought it was important for him to be doing something more. Lucky it worked into the story perfectly as it gives me an opening for him and Robin to have a talk in the next chapter.

I think I may have gone a little overboard with the beating I gave Mammoth. Broken teeth, broken nose, second degree burns, and a beating from Wildebeest, might be considered harsh. Don't get me wrong, I like Mammoth, I just don't know a lot about his personality, so I thought I'd give him something that I could use later as a grudge against either Robin or all the Titans.

Before any of you say anything, Aqua Lad's eye blast power might not have been in the cartoon, but it was in the comics. I know that he has control over water, and can probably draw water molecules from the air if he needs something to use, but I thought the eye blast would be more fun.

As for Robin's powers there will be a full explanation in the next chapter when a couple of the Justice League members come to check out what's wrong with him. Just so you know, Multi-Man's name doesn't come from the power to make copies of himself (although I think he might be able to do that, I'm not sure). The name comes form a different ability altogether. But I'm not going to tell you what until the next chapter, that way I know you will read it, plus I like being evil. Bwha hahahahahahahahaha.

**Next Chapter:** After a check-up from the Justice League, Raven and Terra take Robin to Nox. There will actually be some other vampires in this fic. And the relationship moves to the next level (something more than enough people have been nagging me about. You know who you are).


	11. Things to do in Jump City

**Author's Notes:** There are numerous reasons why it has taken so long for this chapter to come out. Not least of which was some twat breaking my Mouse (have you ever tried using a computer without a mouse?) Life has a habit of getting in the way of things you really want to do. Don't worry though, I have no intention of abandoning this fic (not until everyone starts saying it's crap and I've lost my talent… though I hope that doesn't happen).

This chapter is quite a talker, I had a lot to get out before I could move on to the stuff everyone is waiting for.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **Leader** who seems to be my biggest fan. Thanks for being borderline obsessed and sticking with me through all these months.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Beta'd By:** Daybreak25 (the source of all my power)

**Chapter Eleven:** Things to Do in Jump City When You're Dead

* * *

Robin was so bored he felt like screaming.

He had been sitting in the Titans Tower Med-Lab for the past three days waiting for the Justice League's specialists to finish diagnosing him. He had been forbidden to leave the room by just about everyone in the tower, and several people outside of it, until he was given the all clear, much to his irritation. Batman had come down with the specialists, telling Robin that he had convinced the other main League members who wanted to talk to him about Supergirl and the recent newspaper story to stay behind. Robin was thankful for that at least.

Whatever it was that was affecting him had also completely taken away his need for sleep, so the three days seemed infinitely longer. The other Titans had come to his rescue, bringing him books and magazines. Normally he would have just accepted them but then left them on the bedside table, but when the boredom hit after the first day he read them just for something to do. Raven's horror books, Terra's romance novels, Starfire's gossip magazines, Cyborg's car magazines, even Beast Boy's comics and copies of MAD magazine.

Robin was just finishing a section on 'Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions' when Dr Mid-Nite, the Justice League's medical expert and one of the best doctors in the world, along with Raven and Cyborg entered the room and gave him a clean bill of health. All the medical tests showed that Robin was in the best shape he had ever been in, despite having recovered from a bullet to the head.

Dr Fate, the League's mystical specialist and the earth's greatest sorcerer, didn't have such good news.

"So what can you tell me doctor?" Robin asked. His face was devoid of any emotion, but on the inside he was worried.

"This is unlike anything I have encountered before Robin," Dr Fate said, taking off his golden helmet to look his patient in the eyes. Robin didn't take this as a good sign. Dr Fate sat in a chair facing the hospital bed Robin was still sitting on, "as far as I can tell two similar, but significantly different curses have bonded together in your body to form something completely original."

Robin took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He knew enough about magic to know that curses were rarely good things. He knew the only way he would be able to deal with this was to let his leadership side take over and start asking questions.

"What can you tell me about these curses doctor?"

Dr Fate took out a Justice League PDA. This little device had information on almost every superhero and villain the world had ever seen. Robin knew because he had one himself.

"The Shade was immortal," Dr Fate said as he pulled up the file, "he was born sometime in the early eighteen hundreds and got his "powers" in his late twenties. His real power was in the summoning of shadow matter from the Shadow Lands. The Shadow Lands are a realm of nightmares; if a normal person was sent there they would be met by their worst fears. Shadow matter could be used to create matter of all kinds, shapes, and sizes, including living beings, all under his control.

"Multi-Man was an archaeologist. While on a dig in Egypt he found an idol that promised him great power, which, of course, he used. He would never age but he could be killed. However, every time he died he would come back to life with a new superpower. He never became a real threat though as it still hurt him to be killed and he was something of a coward. He got most of his powers from the people he worked for repeatedly killing him until he had a power they could use. I think his last death count was around eighty-five. Neither of the curses hurt either of these men in any way, apart from Multi-Man's but that was mostly voluntary, so there's no need to think this mixed one will harm you at all."

"So wait a minute," Cyborg interrupted with a confused frown, "since Robin got shot in the head does that mean he got a new superpower?"

Everyone looked at Robin expectantly. He was looking down at his hands as he held them a couple of inches apart. A park of electricity jumped between both hands, Robin looked up at everyone, surprised that it even worked.

"Dude that is so cool," Cyborg said with a laugh, "you're like a one man super team. You could become unbeatable."

Robin turned to Dr Fate who looked very concerned, "why do I get the feeling you don't think this is a good thing?"

"Far from it Robin," Dr Fate said solemnly, "from what you told me of the transfer of these powers, no normal person would survive the transfer of this new mixed curse."

"But someone supernatural could," Robin guessed.

"Exactly. If some dark creature found out about your new abilities they would move heaven and earth to posses them. I'm afraid these powers have added to your troubles instead of reducing them. Thankfully they aren't detectible unless one of them was to get up close and personal with you."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"Try not to show off these abilities in public, at least not until you have some control over them. And try not to get killed too often; it will still hurt. Although you know the rule as well as I do."

Robin nodded. The rule was something of a superhero joke involving powers and the need the universe supposedly had for them to be used. If you were bullet-proof, you would get shot at a lot. If you healed fast you would get injured often. And if you could come back from the dead, you would most likely be killed.

"I had better go and tell Batman what I've discovered," Dr Fate said as he stood up and held his helmet under his arm, "good luck with all of this Robin, you're going to need it. Raven will you walk me out?"

Raven followed Dr Fate out of the Med-Lab and down the corridor. Raven had always liked Dr Fate; unlike other magical members of the League he never judged her because of her father, choosing instead to focus on her efforts to help others. He had also supplied her with many of her magical books when she first started with the Titans. Something she was very thankful for.

"I have to tell you Raven…" Dr Fate said with a sigh once they were far enough away from the Med-Lab, "I'm worried."

"Why?" Raven asked, though she suspected she already knew.

"Despite what Robin, and even Batman might think, they know almost nothing about the supernatural world. They usually leave magic to those who know more about it. And on the few occasions when the dynamic duo have had to deal with supernatural menaces they were usually accompanied by someone knowledgeable… or else scraped through by the skin of their teeth. But Robin is going to need more than that to survive this change in his life; he's going to have to learn more about our world. Because it won't just be Demons after him, it'll be Vampires, Witch-Breed and… others."

"I-I'll start to teach him everything I know right away," Raven said with a determined look on her face, "I had planned on inviting him to Nox's, the vampire club anyway. Now I can teach him some more about our world too."

"Oh really?" Dr Fate asked with a knowing smile.

Raven pulled up her hood to hide her blush and decided to change the subject, "that's not all you're worried about though is it?"

"No Raven it's not," Dr Fate said with a heavy sigh, "I'm worried that these powers may go to Robin's head. I'm worried they'll change him."

"Do you think he'll turn… evil?"

"Power sometimes corrupts Raven," Dr Fate said with a shrug, "I've had to take down my fare share of normal people who have gained extra-normal powers and used them for selfish reasons."

"But you can't think that will happen to Robin can you?" Raven asked with a frown.

"I admit that it does depend on the individual's personality before they get said powers. And Robin is a very good young man, one of the best. But we all have a dark side Raven, some of us are just better at hiding it."

Raven stood in silence; she didn't know how to respond to that. She looked up as Dr Fate put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure that as long as you're helping him we have nothing to worry about," Dr Fate said with a genuine smile, "if anyone can help Robin fight the darkness, it's you."

With a final goodbye, Dr Fate continued down the hall to find Batman. Raven watched him go with a smile on her face. He always knew how to make her feel better. She decided then and there that she would ask Robin out to the club tonight. She needed to feed tonight anyway; it would be killing two birds with one stone.

Having made her decision Raven flew towards the bedrooms to find Terra. If she was going to ask Robin out she would need some emotional support.

* * *

Robin and Cyborg were left in silence once Raven and Dr Fate had left the room. Cyborg wasn't sure what he should say, while Robin just stared at his hands. Eventually Cyborg just had to break the silence.

"So…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm… not really sure," Robin said with a sigh, "I'm not sure it's completely sunk in yet. A part of me keeps expecting it all to be a dream. If it wasn't for the fact that I haven't dreamt in almost seven years I'd be pinching myself."

Cyborg filed that little bit of information away for later, deciding instead to focus on making his friend feel better, "still, it must be nice to have superpowers though. You'll certainly be able to kick a lot more butt."

"I never needed them to kick butt before. I always liked the fact that I'm a semi-normal guy that could just cripple super villains with my bare hands. Now I'm probably going to have to train twice as hard just so I don't end up killing someone."

"So… you've never wanted any kind of superpower? Super strength? Super speed? …X-ray vision?" Cyborg asked with a lecherous smile.

Robin was quiet for a second before he answered, "I always wanted to be able to fly."

"Flying?" Cyborg asked with a raised eyebrow, "that's it?"

"What's wrong with that?" Robin asked with a frown.

"Nothing. I just thought you'd want something a bit more physical, something you could beat people up with."

"I know that on its own flying doesn't have that many practical uses," Robin said with a small smile, "I'd just love to be able to take off and soar through the air whenever I liked."

Robin picked up the small hand-mirror from the cart next to his bed. He looked at his new red eyes and let out a sigh. He'd been doing this a lot over the past three days.

"I miss my old eyes," Robin said almost to himself.

"What colour were they?" Cyborg asked even though Terra had already told him. He tried to sound casual about it. Even though he knew he had never really asked Robin any personal questions before, he couldn't help but feel the Boy Wonder had been purposely keeping his personal life a secret from the team.

"Blue," Robin said, never taking his eyes off the mirror, "I knew a girl once who said they took her breath away every time she looked at them. They were one of the few things in my life that I was actually vain about. I wear my mask more to protect them than I do my secret identity… or at least I did."

"Um… I have to tell to tell you something Robin."

Robin looked up expectantly, placing the mirror back on the cart. Cyborg didn't say anything at first, choosing to take some time to figure out exactly what he wanted to say. Robin waited patiently, the slightly guilty look on Cyborg's face had peaked his curiosity.

"I've… well I've been kinda distant with you lately. I'm sure you've noticed," Cyborg said, looking everywhere but at Robin, "it's not anything you've done, well, not really but… we're friends right?"

"…of course we are," Robin said with a confused look, "why?"

"It's just that my other friends are a lot more open about themselves than you seem to be. Starfire always tells stories of her home planet; you can't get Beast Boy to shut up about his life. Even Raven who seems to have a reason to not talk about her past opens up to us occasionally. But you… you're always open and friendly and yet I know almost nothing about your past, your home, your family, I don't even know if you have any friends outside of the Titans."

Cyborg looked up at Robin before he continued, "I'll admit I was… angry when I thought about all this. But then I realised I was wrong. I know you are a secretive person, but I also know I never asked you any personal questions. Not unless it was about hooking up with girls. I should have realised you were just a classy guy and… I'm sorry."

Robin didn't say anything for several minutes, silently debating with himself. He knew that he should have opened up more with Cyborg a long time ago. The metal teen had been a good friend to him and he should have shown how much that meant to him. Robin knew how he could start to make it up to him, but he would have to be careful how he worded it.

"You know when I had these powers put on me I was having a pretty rough day," Robin said with a smile, Cyborg nodded sympathetically, "there was the newspaper article, I ran into Fang and… Kitten. The only high point was when I had sex before I was attacked."

Cyborg nodded, then looked up sharply when he realised what was said, "You had sex? With a girl?"

"No, with a potted plant," Robin said sarcastically, "of course with a girl."

"Dude, you are such a player," Cyborg said with a big smile, his demeanour changing instantly, "you got to give me details man. What's her name?"

Robin shook his head, "I can't tell you that, sorry."

"Well at least tell me what she looked like. Is she hot?"

"Tight little athletic body, gothic clothing, seductive eyes, pale skin and wild hair."

"Cute butt?" Cyborg asked with a lecherous smile.

"Nice and pert," Robin said with a fond smile.

"Nice breasts?"

"Good enough to eat off," Robin said absentmindedly.

"Did you?" Cyborg asked with raised eyebrows.

"…I think I might have said too much already," Robin said with a frown, "if I say anymore I'll disrespect her."

"And she wouldn't like that," Cyborg said as a matter of fact.

"Honestly? I don't think she'd care one way or the other," Robin said with a shrug, "but I would."

Cyborg nodded in understanding. He had more questions about this mystery girl, about a million more, but he had been working with Robin long enough to know when it was time to change the subject. He was about to when a signal activated on his forearm.

"Damn," Cyborg said looking at the readout, "I've got some data I've got to go check. We'll have to continue this later… that is if you want to."

"Sure Cy, why not," Robin said. He called Cyborg back before he got to the door, "I'd appreciate it if you kept all this to yourself for the time being. The others have enough to think about with my new abilities and Supergirl's interview without this too."

"Sure dude, whatever you say, "Cyborg said with a smile before he turned around and left the Med-Lab.

Robin watched his friend leave with a slight frown. He wasn't sure if he had shared too much about his night with Jinx. He definitely knew that Cyborg wouldn't tell anyone what was said, at least not right away. Robin was just glad he didn't give out the ex-HIVE member's name. It was bad enough that the Titans knew about Supergirl. He'd hate to think what they would all say about Jinx.

Robin got off the bed and left the Med-Lab. He knew that he hadn't been told that he could leave yet, but he also hadn't been told to stay. Besides, he needed to get out of the Med-Lab pyjamas and into a hot shower.

As Robin reached his bedroom door he punched in the access code. He froze before entering the door, then let a small smile grace his face.

"Boo," Robin said before turning to the shadows behind him.

Batman stepped out of the shadows with a small smile on his face, "not bad. I barely got close enough to kill you. At least your senses are still razor sharp."

Robin and Batman shook hands. It was the most amount of affection they ever showed when meeting. Both of them entered the room. Robin sat on the bed and Batman pulled the desk chair into the middle of the room and sat down.

"I take it you've spoken with the doctors. So what do you think?" Robin asked, getting straight down to business. He and Batman never really used small talk; they always found it better to get to the point.

"I think you have a few challenges ahead of you," Batman said in a monotone voice that would have made Raven jealous, "but I have no doubt in my mind that you will over come them all. This could be a blessing in disguise."

Batman knew he didn't have to say all this to Robin, he was smart enough to have already answered all his own questions, he just felt his protégé needed a bit of reassurance.

"So what do you plan to do next," Batman asked, though he already knew.

"Learning how to use these new abilities is a priority. Thankfully they don't seem to react to my feelings like Raven's, and I don't feel them building up inside my trying to release. That said I don't want to lash out and accidentally kill someone. I'll speak to Raven; see if she can help me."

Batman had another small smile but it was short lived. He never had any doubt that Robin would handle this whole situation with the sense and intelligence most adults lacked, but he could tell something else was bothering the Boy Wonder.

"Is there something else you want to talk to me about Tim?"

Robin opened his mouth to say something, then closed it just as quickly. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Bruce about the girls and their feelings for him. He was the only person he ever told the names of the girls he had been intimate with. He trusted Bruce to keep a secret, plus he figured he'd find out if he wanted to anyway. It was just he wasn't sure how to say what he felt. He hadn't had much practice in that area. It took a minute before he actually spoke. "I'm… having girl troubles."

"…oh," Batman said. He thought it was going to be something about the boy's wayward parents or some life and death situation he needed help solving. This was much worse. "What kind of troubles exactly?"

"Raven and Terra…" Robin said with a sigh, "they are apparently in love with me."

"That seems simple enough. Just choose the one you like the most and…"

"They are both already in a relationship," Robin interrupted, "with each other. They want me to be apart of that relationship."

The shock was evident on Batman's face. Robin smiled, this was a rare event, he made sure to commit it to memory.

Batman got up and stated pacing back and forth across the room. He did this sometimes when he had trouble solving a problem.

"This is to do with Raven being a vampire?" He asked. Robin nodded; Batman often shot questions of at him. He knew the answers to most of them; he just wanted confirmation from someone who had the same thought process. Robin wasn't surprised that Bruce knew Raven was a vampire. His mentor had done extensive background checks on all of his friends. Some people would call him paranoid; Robin just thought he was cautious.

Batman stopped pacing and looked at Robin. He had come to a conclusion. Robin sat up expectantly.

"I think, if you have any similar feelings then you should give it a shot," Batman said, sitting back down. "But I think you should be upfront about your feelings and how distant you can be beforehand, make sure they have all the facts. You'll regret it if you don't at least try and see if this will work."

"Thank you Bruce," Robin said. Of all the people he had talked to, he could trust Batman to be objective no matter what his personal feelings were.

"You are aware that you will have to deal with vampires more thought?" Batman asked.

"Don't worry about that," Robin said with a knowing smile, "I got some of my gadgets upgraded by Jason Blood."

Batman nodded in understanding. Jason Blood was the occult expert they both went to when they needed help with the supernatural. Bruce always said when you need information; go to the guy with the most experience. Jason Blood had over a thousand years of experience. More than enough for the dynamic duo.

"Good for you Tim," Batman said with a weary smile, "then again, maybe I'm not the best person to ask about all this. I've hardly had the best record where relationships are concerned."

"You and me both," Robin said with a nod.

Both sat in silence for half a minute before Batman spoke, "have you slept with anyone else recently?"

"Just Jinx," Robin said honestly, "a former member of the HIVE."

"One night stand?"

"Twice actually. But more as a friendly thing to help me vent my feelings," Robin said solemnly, "how about yourself?"

"Me and Catwoman again about two weeks ago," Batman said with a sigh, "Talia last week. I think Wonder Woman would like to start something, but I've been trying to avoid it. Most likely for the same reasons as you have with Raven and Terra," Robin nodded in understanding, "any advice?"

Robin thought about it for a second, "Do you think she just wants sex? Or does she want a relationship as well?"

"Relationship as well," Batman answered.

"Then no," Robin said frankly, "if you took it slow and went out on a few actual dates with her, and I mean out of costume dates not patrolling, then maybe. But if it starts off as sex you'll most likely ruin your friendship and your teamwork."

"You're right, thank you Tim," Batman said, standing up. Robin stood up as well, "call me and let me what happens with Terra and Raven."

"Same goes for you and Wonder Woman," Robin said with a small smile.

They shook hands again and Batman left. Robin decided he was going to follow his mentor's advice.

Right after he had a shower that is.

* * *

Raven and Terra stood in front of Robin's door, trying to build up the courage to knock. They weren't afraid that Robin would yell at them for interrupting him. He had never done that in all the time they had known him. Even when Beast Boy had been the one to bang on his door, something Raven couldn't understand. No, they were afraid that he wouldn't want to come to the club with them. Unlike with the other Titans, Raven included, who would get nagged about doing something over and over again until they agreed, or until they screamed no, Robin would only get asked once. If he said no he wouldn't get asked again. There was something about his serious nature and no nonsense attitude that made his word law with all of the Titans.

It was finally Terra, the bolder of the two, who knocked. After half a minute Robin answered the door, dripping wet and wearing a towel again. He hadn't bothered with a mask this time.

"Do you two just wait until I'm wet and naked before you come to my room?" Robin asked with a small smirk.

Both girls chuckled half-heartedly while trying to hide their blushes. He let them in and they both sat on the edge of his bed. Robin grabbed a clean uniform and went back into his bathroom to change.

"What can I do for you two?" Robin asked from the bathroom.

"We--err… we wanted to see how you were doing," Terra said, leaning back to try and see into the bathroom. She sat back up after Raven elbowed her in the ribs.

"I'm doing okay actually," Robin said poking his head from behind the door, "I had a talk with Batman and he helped me put a lot of… things… in perspective."

"That's… that's good to hear Robin," Raven said, not entirely sure what the Boy Wonder was talking about.

Robin stepped out of the bathroom and let out a contented sigh. Now that he had his uniform back on he almost felt normal.

"Was there anything else you girls wanted?"

Terra answered, knowing full well that Raven wouldn't, "we err… we wanted to know if… and of course we understand if you don't… if you wanted to… go to a club with us?"

"What kind of club?" Robin asked.

"A erm… a vampire club," Raven said, pulling up her hood to hide her blush.

"Is this a date?" Robin asked. Both girls tried to stutter a response but didn't really give an answer, "sure. I'd like that."

"We understand Robin. You obviously have…" Terra said before stopping, Robin's words finally seeping in, "did you just say you'd come?"

"Sure," Robin said with a smile, "I think it's about time we did something together. So we can get to know each other better."

"Really?" Raven asked, with a slightly larger than normal smile. Robin just nodded, "this is great Robin, you don't know how…"

"Oh my god," Terra said, jumping to her feet, "we have to start getting ready."

Before anything else could be said Terra grabbed Raven's hand and pulled her to her feet and dragged her out of the room.

"We'll be leaving at nine," Raven managed to shout before the door closed behind her.

Robin let out a small chuckle as the door closed before moving to his closet to find something appropriate to wear to the club. He had an extensive collection of urban camouflage for most of the gangs and high school clicks, just nothing for the supernatural.

He just hoped he could cobble something together.

* * *

Robin had to make sure he knew where everyone was going to be before he could go out with the girls. It wouldn't be smart for everyone to be out in case there was an emergency. Beast Boy had insisted that the boys all go to Secret Weapons, apparently Robin's exploits in the paper had inspired him. Robin had been able to avoid an invite by stating he wasn't up for anything like that yet. Starfire would thankfully be staying in the tower. She had invited some of the friends she had made during the tournament to spend the night, staying up late watching chick flicks and eating junk food. Robin was just thankful there would be enough of a distraction that he could slip out with Raven and Terra.

Robin reached Terra's door at five to nine. He knew there was more chance of them both being in here as Terra would no doubt have had to bully Raven into wearing something other than her cloak before she could get ready herself. Robin wore black jeans and black shin-high boots with various buckles, a long sleeved shirt with the slogan "of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" and long, black leather trench coat. The outfit was designed to make him fit in, but not make him memorable, something ideal for undercover work. He had foregone wearing a mask, instead wearing black contact lenses.

Robin knocked on the door. It was opened almost instantly. Raven stood in the doorway looking extremely nervous. She wore tight, figure hugging jeans and simple black boots; she wore a small leather jacket and a tight black shirt with the slogan "sarcasm is just one more service I offer". The shirt showed off her stomach and she kept trying to pull it down enough to hide her bellybutton, this however showed of more cleavage than she liked, meaning she had to pull it back up. It was annoying the hell out of her.

"Terra made me wear this," Raven said, looking up at Robin expectantly.

"I think you look great," Robin said with a small smile, "amazing even."

Raven turned away from Robin to hide her blush, "come in then."

Robin stepped into the room and looked around. It was exactly the same as when the Titans had first given Terra the room, except now there were piles of rejected clothes laying on the bed.

"She's being very secretive about what she's wearing," Raven said sitting on the bed, "she made me put on… these… then disappeared into her room. I came in here and she was still in the bathroom."

"Is that Robin?" Terra asked from the bathroom without actually peeking out, "Okay I'm ready now. Tell me what you guys think."

Unlike Robin and Raven, Terra had gone all out with her outfit. She wore a black and white, striped, long-sleeved shirt that cut off below her breasts, showing off her stomach and a small, sleeveless, black leather jacket. She wore a short black skirt, fishnet stockings and shin-high boots. She had on a number of silver rings and wore a silver necklace with a pentagram. Her nails were painted black as were her lips and mascara; she had even dyed her hair black.

"Well?" Terra asked, trying her best not to smile, "do I look the part?"

"More than I do," Raven said, surprise evident in her voice, "I mean… it's just… there are no words to describe this."

"You don't like it?" Terra asked, pouting her lip in mock disappointment.

"No I do, I do. It's just a… surprise. I mean… what do you think Robin?"

Robin looked from one girl to the other and smiled, "I think she looks hot."

Terra smiled from ear to ear. It didn't look right with her new look.

"So are we ready to go?" Terra asked, walking over and wrapping an arm around Raven's shoulders.

"We were waiting for you, Mouth," Raven said with a mock glare.

Terra gave Raven a kiss on the cheek and smiled, "then lets hit the road. I think you'll like this place Robin, it's amazing."

In a flash of mystical energy Raven teleported the trio into a small 12x12 foot room, completely grey with a single grey door.

"Wow," Robin said sarcastically as he looked around the room, "I may just faint in amazement."

Both girls ignored the comment and walked through the door. It led to a long corridor, decorated blood red, with twenty similar doors on both side and candelabras every couple of feet. One end of the corridor had stairs leading upwards; the other end had large, antique double doors.

"The whole place is underground," Raven explained to Robin as they moved towards the double doors, "vampires that don't have demon parents, or aren't sired by those with demonic heritage, still burn in sunlight, and since this place doesn't close till six am they need the protection. The rooms along this corridor are here so that the vampires can teleport in and out as and when they need to."

When the doors opened Robin had to pause for a second to take it all in. The room was large and pentagon shaped. The double doors opened on one corner, the walls on either side of the doors had bars along them, both very busy, the corners next to them had doors leading to male and female restrooms, the next walls had elevated seating areas along them. The far wall had a large stage with a band busily playing away; the corners next to it had doors leading to staff only areas. The middle of the room had a large, square dance floor with lots of people already on it. From their graceful, ethereal movements Robin could tell that the majority of them weren't human. Or at least weren't any more.

"So what do you think?" Raven asked as she guided Robin and Terra over to the bar with the fewest people.

"It's… surprising," Robin said as he looked up to the stage, "is that Johnny Rancid playing in a band?"

Both girls looked to the stage where Johnny was playing a guitar and singing. He was singing a gothic Rock song about his dog Wrex.

"Oh yeah he's been in here a few times," Raven said casually, "it think it's the only place that will give him a gig after that whole trying-to-remake-the-city-in-his-own-image thing. He's actually pretty good."

"What's his band called?" Robin asked.

"Reality's Bitch," Terra said with a laugh, "that might be another reason why he can only get gigs here."

The three of them stood and listened for a few seconds. Robin thought he was good, though he had no intention of telling Johnny that.

"Well I hate to do this but I have to go and meet someone," Raven said with a sigh, "I shouldn't be too long."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Terra asked with a frown.

"No that's alright," Raven said with a small smile, "just get me a drink and I'll be back in a minute."

Raven disappeared into the crowed leaving Robin and Terra alone.

"I'm quite surprised you decided to come out tonight," Terra said as she waited for a barmaid to come over, "it's a good surprise though."

"I meant what I said at the tower," Robin said with a smile, "I want us all to get to know each other better. And maybe become… closer."

Terra's eyebrows raised in surprise before settling into a big smile, "does that mean you're finally ready to start something with us?"

"Yeah I am," Robin said with a chuckle, "as long as we take things slow. It's been a while since I've been in a real relationship."

"Absolutely," Terra said before grabbing the back of Robin's head and pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. It lasted almost five minutes before Terra came up for air, a dreamy expression plastered on her face, "I can totally take it slow."

"Glad to hear it," Robin said with a laugh, "well as much as I'd like to stay and continue this, the service at this bar is terrible. I'm going to go over and see if the other one is better. See you in a sec?"

Terra just nodded. Once Robin had walked out of eyesight she let out a very happy, girly giggle. Life in the tower was about to become a lot more interesting.

"Hey there beautiful."

Terra turned at the voice to see someone standing behind her. He was obviously a vampire. Long athletic limbs, ivory skin, black clothing. He wore black knee length boots, black leather pants and a black turtleneck jumper. He had a long ponytail that reached down to his backside, a cocky grin that spoke of boundless arrogance and a lecherous look in his purple eyes.

"You look good enough to eat," he said with a smirk, "what's your sign?"

"No entry," Terra said with a Raven-like glare, "now fuck off."

"Hey now no need to be hostile," he said with another smirk, "I was just hoping we could get acquainted."

"I'm already here with people," Terra said folding her arms.

"They can't be all that good if they've left you all on your lonesome."

Terra turned her back to him and leaned on the bar, "you're not even on the same level as their piss."

"Let's see how you feel about that in a second or two," the vampire said as he moved in behind Terra. His fangs extended as he moved his mouth towards her neck.

Terra looked in the mirror behind the bar and saw what he was doing, and froze. Her mind went blank; she couldn't think of what to do, she was going to get bitten. That is if someone hadn't intervened. The vampire was pulled back by his ponytail until he was bent over backwards, looking up into the angry face of Robin.

"Put them away, before I take them away."

Robin let go of the ponytail and the vampire dropped onto his back. Hard. He quickly got back to his feet and growled at the Boy Wonder.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he hissed angrily.

"I think I'm the guy whose girl you were trying to bite," Robin said, ready to take the vampire down if he tried anything, "you try that again and I'll punch a hole in you big enough to spit through. That's a promise. "

The vampire looked like he was about to pounce when he stopped and looked over to the seating area. He frowned momentarily then looked back at Robin, "we'll finish this another time."

Robin watched him move through the crowd until he disappeared. He turned back to Terra and she had an eyebrow raised, "what?"

"I'm your girl now am I?" Terra asked with a smirk.

"Sorry about that," Robin smiled, "sometimes you have to speak the language of the jerk to make them understand. That said you have to remind me tomorrow to help you deal with sneak attacks."

Terra wrapped her arms around Robin's neck, "why when I have a knight in shining armour?"

"Oh?" Robin said with a smirk, "is he bigger than me?"

Terra laughed out loud before pulling Robin into another kiss.

* * *

Raven made her way over to the seating area on the right side of the stage. Despite the loud band and the screaming dancers, it was relatively quiet here. She made her way over to the corner and found the vampire she was looking for, sitting alone and drinking tea.

To anyone who wasn't a vampire she'd look just like a thirteen year old girl, but Raven knew she was older and wiser than anyone else in the room. She had the grace and agility one only gets from centuries of your body never changing. She wore a black, tight, sleeveless turtleneck with a collar large and wide enough to cover her mouth and nose. She had white bandages covering her stomach and black arm bands. She had a long black skirt that reached down to the floor with slits on the sides reaching up to the beginning of her thighs. She wore white bandages like shorts up to mid thigh under her skirt. She wore Japanese sandals with large wooden blocks giving her some much needed height. Her hair was silver, except for the two front locks which were jet black, all held in a high ponytail by an azure ribbon. Her eyes glowed crimson behind her bangs.

"Hello Arashi," Raven said as she approached, "it's good to see you again."

"Hello Raven," Arashi said with a smile, sounding very much like a thirteen year old girl, "come, sit, have some tea."

"I've no time right now," Raven said while sitting down, "I'm here with people."

Arashi looked shocked, "your partners?"

"One is. Hopefully the other one will be soon."

"Good for you Raven," Arashi said with a smile, "well then what can I do for you?"

"Have you had any luck figuring out my father's curse," Raven asked urgently.

Arashi let out a heavy sigh, "I was afraid you'd ask about that."

"There's no way to break it is there?" Raven asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry no," Arashi said, Raven slumped down in her chair, "I did find out a few things though. It's not a controlling spell or one that will make you evil if you complete it. It seems Ddrez wants you to kill so you can see how fun it is, or something like that. If you do fulfil the curse, it will be lifted."

"But that means someone will have to die," Raven said solemnly.

"You need to think of the bigger picture Raven," Arashi said, placing a hand on Raven's, "think of all the good you could do if you were at full power, all the lives you could save. Surely one death is worth all that?"

"Maybe so," Raven said with a frown, "but I will not give him the satisfaction of making me do that."

"As always the choice is with you Raven," Arashi said with a sigh, "I just hope you find a way to beat him."

"Me too," Raven said quietly before getting up and walking away.

"Good luck child," Arashi said with a frown.

Raven moved back through the crowd listlessly. She knew that sooner rather than later her father would make a move against the world. And it would be down to her to attempt to stop him. She didn't have a chance. Not if she couldn't have a decent meal and Trigon had made sure of that. Raven decided that if push-came-to-shove she would just have to drain one of the Titan's enemies. Maybe Slade, or even Kitten. Yes she could definitely drain Kitten.

When she looked towards the Bar, Raven stopped in her tracks. Terra and Robin were kissing. Actually it looked more like Terra was trying to merge her face with Robin's. All of Raven's problems moved to the back of her mind as Happiness was finally let out into the open. She was about to go over and find out exactly what happened when someone stepped in front of her.

"Hello Goth," Raven said with a sigh.

Goth was a thin teenager about a head taller than Raven. He wore black sneakers, ripped denim jeans and a black t-shirt with a skull on the front. He had pale skin, blue eyes and shoulder length black hair cut in a way to cover half his face.

Raven had first met him at a club she had attended with the other Titans, shortly before they were attacked by aliens, and since then he had been turning up whenever she went to a club, which wasn't all that often. He had even joined Johnny Rancid's band as the drummer, meaning she saw him even more. He seemed nice enough, and was certainly charming; there was just something about him that didn't feel right to her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Goth asked with a charming smile.

"Thank you but no," Raven said with an apologetic smile, "I'm here with people."

"Really? Who?" Goth asked with a confused look. Raven pointed to the bar where Robin and Terra were kissing, "looks like they're more with each other to me."

"That's okay," Raven said with a smile, "they're my partners."

"WHAT?" Goth said, a shocked expression on his face.

"Yeah, at least I hope they both are," Raven said as she moved away towards the bar, "I'll see you around Goth."

Raven didn't get very far. She felt a stabbing pain in her chest, like someone had her heart in their hand and was squeezing it to pulp. She turned back to Goth at the sound of growling. If she wasn't in so much pain she would have screamed.

Goth had changed dramatically. His skin was red and scaly, his eyes were yellow, his hair was purple, and he had almost doubled in size, stretching his clothes to their limits.

Raven suddenly became ridged and fell to the floor. As she did her attention was drawn to the glass orb in his left hand. It was pulsing with crimson energy, about the size of a tennis ball, and quickly growing. As it did more and more vampires in the room started clutching their chests before they became as stiff as Raven and collapsed. When the last vampire fell the ball was the size of a beach ball and floated up above Goth's head.

When the few humans in the club noticed the vampires fall they looked about in confusion. When they saw the eight foot demon standing in the room they panicked, screamed and started running for the exits.

"We're supposed to be together Raven," Goth said, his voice taking on a deeper, more gravely tone, "it's our destiny. Maybe you'll understand that when your partners are nothing but ash."

Raven could only watch helplessly as Goth generated a fireball in his hand and launched it at Robin and Terra.

* * *

Terra was thoroughly enjoying kissing Robin.

It was perfect as far as she could tell. The right amount of everything. Tongue, moistness, gentleness, forcefulness, caressing. The part of her brain that was still thinking about these kinds of things reasoned that he must have had a lot of practice. The image of Jinx momentarily came into her head but she pushed it back out, she was enjoying herself too much.

The moment was ruined however by the sudden screaming. As she stopped kissing Terra noticed the dozens of people lying on the floor, stiff as boards.

"What the…?" Terra did get to finish her question as Robin grabbed her and pulled her over the bar with him.

As they landed on the floor she saw the fireball slamming into the wall above them, smashing the mirror and bottles and setting fire to the alcohol, causing it all to rain down upon them. Terra didn't even get to scream as the shadows pulled up from the floor forming a cocoon over her and Robin. After a second it parted, snuffing out the flames and shifting the glass to either side of the Titans.

Terra looked about in shock, "Robin… did you… did you just do that?"

"I don't know," Robin said as he got into a crouching position, "I think so. It felt like it was me."

Terra shook her head, deciding to deal with that later and focus on the situation at hand, "what the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure exactly," Robin said, using a piece of mirrored glass to look over the bar, "there's a big red guy, demon I think, standing in the middle of the room with a glowing red beach ball floating around him."

Terra was about to say something, then stopped and closed her eyes, "I've got a psychic link open with Raven. She says his name is Goth. Apparently he's pissed because he thinks he and Raven are supposed to be together. She says we need to get our hands on that floating orb and it'll free all the vampires."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Robin said with a smile, "you get all the vampires out of the way and get hold of Raven. I'll get the orb and deal with Goth."

"Robin this isn't some punk with an Uzi," Terra said urgently, "this is a demon. You don't have the kind of weapons to deal with him."

"Don't worry Terra," Robin said as he leapt over the bar, "I'm like a boy scout. Always prepared."

* * *

Goth stood above Raven with a large smile, large gleaming fangs on display.

"Relax Raven," he said in a calming voice, "I'm not going to rape you, that is forbidden. But I am going to take you to Dis; it's my own private dimension. There you'll be treated like a queen by my indentured servants. We're meant to be together Raven. I'm sure once we're there you'll see my point of view."

Anything else that Goth would have wanted to say was immediately ended by a silver birderang stabbing into his exposed eye. Goth screamed in agony as the silver burned him, steam escaping from the wound. As he tried to pull the birderang out it just burned his hands.

As Goth struggled about, hundreds of stone hands broke through the ground, grabbing each vampire and quickly moving them through the nearest door. Goth finally got the birderang out of his eye in time to see a stone hand moving Raven towards the bar. He moved to go after her when two more birberangs stabbed into his shoulders. He pulled them out and roared at the one responsible.

Robin stood a few feet away holding a silver staff against his shoulder, "hi, Goth right? I'm Robin. I'm here to beat the concept of "no means no" into your scaly ass. And then cripple you. Please feel free to scream in agony."

Goth's response was to simply growl. He was about to pounce when a cymbal slammed into the back of his head. He turned to the stage to see Johnny Rancid standing there with a cymbal in one hand and a guitar in the other.

"Dude," he said with an angry glare, "you're out of the band."

Johnny threw the cymbal at Goth, who deftly caught it, only to have Robin's foot slammed into the back of his head. Rancid jumped from the stage and joined the Boy Wonder in the beating, him with the guitar, Robin with boot and staff.

Both boys could tell it wasn't going as well as they hoped. Any damage they inflicted was healing almost as quickly. Only the hits from Robin's staff were causing any lasting damage, but even they weren't permanent. Deciding it was best to stick to the plan, Robin used his staff to break both of Goth's knees, jumped up and grabbed the orb and ran back to Raven and Terra, closely followed by Johnny.

"What the hell is going on?" Johnny asked once they got there.

"No time to explain," Robin said holding the orb in front of Terra, "what do I do with this?"

"Just a second," Terra said, who was sat on the floor, cradling Raven in her arms, "she says it's an Orb of the Undead. You need to break it to break the spell."

"That's my kind of magic," Robin said as he lifted the orb above his head.

"WAIT," Terra yelled, causing Robin to catch it at the last second, "Raven says when it breaks it will create a foot wide ball of energy that will vaporise everything inside it. Not to mention energy bolts shooting out to about five feet."

"Okay then. Time for plan B," Robin said as he stood up and launched the orb across the room.

Goth got to his feet just in time to see the orb flying towards him. His arm snaked out, catching it with one hand and holding it at arms length.

"Ha, is that the best you pathetic mortals can do?" Goth laughed, sounding more like a roar, "I've bested better and smarter teens than you for over a thousand years and…"

Whatever Goth's point was it died in the air as a birderang smashed through the orb. The ball of energy spread out, vaporising half of Goth's arm and energy bolts sliced into his chest, knocking him off his feet. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

The effect was instantaneous as Raven sat bolt upright, taking a deep breath with a smile on her face.

"Dude," Johnny said with a laugh, "I think I love plan B."

Almost immediately vampires began pouring out the various doors around the room with murderous looks in their eyes, fangs and nails extending. Goth decided it was best not to stick around and be torn to shreds, disappearing in a flash of crimson energy.

Robin turned to Terra with a playful frown, "is this going to happen every time we go out?"

* * *

Raven was hungry.

It was four o'clock when it was finally becoming too much to bare. She had meant to get some blood at the club, but after the chaos that Goth created it was impossible. Raven contemplated going to Terra's room and waking her, but her responsible side told her Terra would need all her blood if an emergency came up.

Raven made her way into the Ops-Room, she'd have to fly to the city and try and find a stray clubber. She didn't like doing this as she usually ended up drunk to. She dreaded what would happen if any of the Titans found her like that. But she had no choice. When she entered the room she stopped, someone was sat on the sofa, staring at a blank screen.

"Robin," Raven said as she realised who it was, "what are you doing up."

"I don't need rest anymore," Robin said solemnly, still wearing his club clothes, never taking his eyes of the screen, "I've got a lot of free time now and I don't know what to do with it."

Raven walked over and stood next to him, "maybe you could try relaxing?"

"I doubt it," Robin said with a mirthless laugh, "I'll probably need the time to figure out how to use these new powers."

Raven didn't say anything, deciding it was best to change the subject, "so… I saw you kissing Terra tonight. What was that all about?"

"Heh, yeah I… I finally decided I was ready for more with you two," Robin said with a smile, "and then Terra went against character and made the first move."

"Ha ha, that sounds like Terra. So… is she the only one you're kissing or can…" Raven stopped, suddenly grabbing her stomach in pain.

"Raven what's wrong?" asked Robin, standing up and grabbing her to stop her falling.

"I… I have to go," Raven said, trying to leave. Robin stopped her.

"You're going to feed aren't you?"

"…yes I am," Raven said, not looking at Robin, "I can't leave it any longer."

"There has to be something we can do," Robin said racking his brain, "some way we can break the curse."

"There isn't," Raven said, trying to fight the tears in her eyes, "the only way I can break the curse is to drain the blood from someone. I'd have to kill someone."

"Then drain me," Robin said.

Raven's eyes snapped up to Robin's, "you can't be serious."

"I'm deadly serious," Robin said in perfect monotone.

"No Robin I can't…" Raven said, trying to turn away.

"You can't kill me Raven," Robin said, taking hold of Raven's head and looking her in the eyes, "you can drain me dry and I'll be walking about again in no time. It's the only way."

"I… I still don't think…" Raven's words stopped as Robin kissed her. She melted into it and all her doubts evaporated.

"I want you to do this Raven," Robin said when he finally stopped; "I want to help you."

Raven simply nodded, moving in close to Robin. As she moved her head towards his neck her fangs extended. Any hesitations disappeared as she felt Robin's pulse through her lips.

Raven bit down and warm blood flooded into her mouth, it tasted just as sweet as the last time she had sampled the Boy Wonder's blood. She sipped it slowly as she had been doing for most of her life, old habits die hard. She quickly reached the point where she would usually stop, and, almost as if he sensed this, Robin put his hand on the back of her head and held her in place. So Raven drank on.

Robin was shocked as Raven suddenly wrapped her arms around him, her nails digging into his back as she bit down harder. Raven started gulping down mouthful after mouthful. Soon Robin began to feel dizzy from the excessive blood loss. It wasn't long until he blacked out, then with a final shudder, he died. Raven kept on drinking.

Raven was completely lost in the sensation. She had forgotten how good it felt to be full. Power she didn't know she had was waking up and pulsing throughout her body. It was intoxicating. Once she had finally had enough she pulled her mouth away, slowly licking her lips to get the final tastes. Robin was rigid in her arms, but after a sudden jerk he started moving again.

As Robin opened his eyes he had to fight the urge to vomit. He still felt incredibly dizzy and weak, he was just thankful Raven was still holding him. He looked down at her with a goofy smile, but then saw something in her eyes he had never seen before. Lust.

Raven pressed her lips against Robin's. He could taste his own blood as she forced her tongue into his mouth, her nails digging deeper into his back. In his weakened condition he couldn't do anything but except everything she did.

Raven pushed him down onto the coffee table, straddling his waist and pinning his arms down. Robin could see that she was lost in the untapped desire that was practically pouring out of her eyes, yet all his brain could focus on at the moment was the remote-control digging into his back.

In a flash of mystic energy Robin found himself on Raven's bed, still being pinned by her. With more mystic energy both his and her clothes were torn from their bodies. Raven wasted no time in pressing another kiss on him, before slowly kissing and biting her way down his neck and across his chest. Robin wanted to get involved, but what little blood he had managed to regenerate had already moved to his genitals.

Seeing this reaction, Raven moved back up to straddle his waist. She took his member in hand, guided it inside herself and slammed down hard. She started pumping up and down, faster and faster until she built up a steady rhythm. Sweat started dripping from her body as she grabbed Robin's shoulders, her thumbs digging into the flesh. Raven dragged her hands down his chest, her nails scratching and drawing blood as they went.

It was almost thirty minutes before Robin came, Raven following soon after. Her body shuddered with orgasms, before her sweat covered body collapsed onto Robin's. Her breathing evened out as she fell into a deep sleep. Robin could only lie there as the feeling started to come back to his extremities.

Things would certainly be interesting in the morning.

* * *

Goth materialised into his private dimension of Dis in complete agony.

He appeared in his bedroom. The walls, floor and high ceiling were made of marble and had an almost ethereal quality to them. He had a large, antique, four-poster bed with blood red drapes set against the back wall. On the right side of the room was a walk in wardrobe, on the left was an on suite bathroom. The remaining wall had large oak double doors that opened onto a long hallway and two large mirrors hung on either side of them.

Goth moved over to one of the teenagers he had charmed into being an indentured servant long ago, who was busy making his bed. He grabbed her by the neck with his remaining hand. The energy drained from her body, regenerating his lost limb and leaving her a lifeless husk. He moved over to one of the mirrors to check his handy work. A large smile spread across his face.

It didn't last.

A hand formed of the mirrored glass punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground and dislodging several teeth. Goth could only watch as another hand formed from the glass, they both grabbed the frame and stated pulling a glass body out. Soon a six foot humanoid body with no discernable features and made from mirrored glass stepped onto the floor. The mirror behind it rippling like a disturbed swimming pool.

"I'm very disappointed in you Goth," the mirror man said, despite having no mouth.

"Master?" Goth said, before crawling on his knees over to the mirrored man, "Master please I…"

"I gave you one simple task Goth," the mirror man said in a calm passive tone, "you were to charm Raven and get her to see the benefits of conquering the earth."

"Please Master," Goth pleaded, trying to clutch the mirrored man's smooth legs, "I tried Master, I did. But she rarely left her tower."

"I mean you've been charming teenagers into servitude for millennia," the mirror man continued as if he hadn't heard Goth, "and yet one lonely girl, albeit an extraordinary and unique girl, and you fail. Very disappointing Goth."

"Please Master," Goth continued in an almost whining tone, "please just let me have her. I…"

The mirror man punched Goth in the face again and again until his knuckles cracked and pieces of glass were embedded into the demon's cheeks. With his other hand he grabbed Goth by the throat, squeezing until the finger tips broke and stabbed into the flesh.

"Who do you think you are to ask me that?" the mirror man asked in the same eerie calm tone, "perhaps if you had succeeded in your task I would have blessed a marriage. But if that thought ever crosses your mind again you will learn that there are worse things than death."

"Please Master," Goth choked out, "I can still get her, I can…"

"No," the mirror man said, pushing Goth away, "it is too late for that. She has already gotten her two partners, she has even broken the curse on her though I have yet to find out how. No it is time to try a different approach with little Raven. Thankfully I have another agent in place on earth to get this plan underway."

"M-M-Master," Goth stuttered, fear in his eyes, "what… what about me."

The mirror man looked down on Goth. Cracks spread across his blank face to form a crude smile, "thank your lucky stars that I might still have a need for you. It is the only thing that is keeping you alive."

The mirror man suddenly exploded, sending shattered glass flying throughout the room.

"But remember Goth," the mirror man's voice said inside Goth's head, "I'll be watching you."

"I will Master," Goth said, ignoring all the glass stabbing into his skin, "I will."

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** The average adult male has little more than nine pints of blood. Irreversible shock occurs when 40 or more of that is lost. That's more than three and a half pints. Meaning there's less than five and a half pints left. Just encase any of you have anything to say about Raven still drinking after Robin was dead.

If you don't know who Talia is then stop reading this fic and go pick up a Batman comic book or any DC comic book for that matter. I plan on mentioning or even involving a few characters from DC's line-up in the future and you're bound to be lost sooner or later.

I'm not making Johnny Rancid a good guy before anyone says anything. In issue 19 of the Teen Titans Go comic Johnny has his own band and is performing at clubs. Admittedly he was being used to raise the dead but it still seemed like a good idea. And I'd just like to point out this is a kids comic, so they weren't called Reality's Bitch.

I did not make up Multi-Man or his powers. He was even in a comic with Joker. The clown killed him about sixty times to give him a power to help them escape from prison.

Though I don't plan on killing Robin in every chapter (or even every other chapter) there are going to be times when it happens. Especially when more vampires show up and Slade's kids make their move. That said I need some help. I don't want to give Robin any of the mainstream powers like flight, heat vision, telepathy or anything like that, at least not to begin with. So I'm looking for suggestions. I looking for powers that you wouldn't necessarily ask for, but could still be useful in certain situations. I have a few in mind, but anything any of you can suggest will be greatly appreciated.

**Next Chapter:** It's the morning after and our three lovebirds have to deal with Raven's… actions from the previous night. Plus some filler I've yet to think up yet.


	12. Invictus

**Author's Notes:** Wow. Five months between chapters. What the hell is wrong with me? (that's a rhetorical question, please don't answer!) All I can say is that I'll try and not let it happen again. I am starting work on another Teen Titans fic (if only because I work better when I can move from one to the other when I'm stuck for motivation). This one is called The Boy Wonder Legacy (if you think you can guess what it is about from the title, you are probably wrong). It's a little darker than this fic and I have a definite end in mind for it (unless I get the motivation for a sequel). The fist three chapter should be out before chapter 13 of this fic (but only because I've already written the first two and am a quarter of the way through chapter 3).

This is another set-up chapter. It sets up a few things that I wanted set up for the next and/or later chapters. I usually spread these out over a few chapters but I felt it was best to get all these out now.

I had no Beta this time (I tried to get in touch with Daybreak25 with the 2 email addresses I have for her and didn't get a response) so if there are any major mistakes I apologize in advance.

This chapter is dedicated to **sadfru**. For the pure genius of your power suggestions. I used one in this chapter (after Raven's feeding) and I may very well use all of them, even the ones that made me laugh.

* * *

**Teen Titans:** Blood, Earth and Shade

**Author:** The Omakeer

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics

**Chapter Twelve:** Invictus

* * *

"Raven… Raven… Wake up Raven… We need to talk to you… RAVEN."

Raven slowly opened her eyes. She was lying under the covers of her bed, only now the bed was in her Mindscape in the middle of the stone meeting area of her emotions. Various emotions were standing around the bed staring at her. Knowledge was standing the closest, pushing her glasses up her nose as she looked Raven up and down.

Raven closed her eyes and snuggled into her covers, a dreamy smile forming on her face, "hello everyone. I had a very… interesting dream last night."

The emotions all exchanged looks before Knowledge spoke up, "actually, Raven…"

"It wasn't like one of my usual ones," Raven continued, oblivious to Knowledge's words, "It was really… intense. Wild even."

"Raven I think you should know that…" Knowledge tried again.

"It was the kind of thing I've only read about in romance novels, or seen in movies. All full of lust and pent up sexual tension. I just threw Robin down on to my bed, tore the clothes from our bodies and…"

"RAVEN," all the emotions said at once.

"Mmm?" Raven said, opening one eye.

"That wasn't a dream," Knowledge said simply.

* * *

Raven instantly sat bolt upright, she was back in her bedroom.

She looked at the pieces of clothing littering the floor of her room and winced, Terra was going to think she had destroyed her new clothes on purpose, at least on a subconscious level. With another look around the room Raven saw that she was alone. Thankfully before she could be struck with any kind of worry or crippling self doubt her bathroom door opened and Robin stepped out wearing nothing but a towel.

"I was just checking myself out in the mirror," Robin said with a small smile, "no new scars."

Raven just smiled back nervously, she didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected them to do what they did last night so soon. She had expected them to go out on a few dates first, maybe have a couple of make-out sessions. She definitely didn't expect to throw him down on the bad and have her way with him. She didn't know what to say or do now. But she was suddenly aware of how naked she was under her covers.

"So…" Robin said as he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Raven, "about what happened last night…"

"I'm sorry," Raven said urgently, "I… I just don't know what came over me. Having a full stomach for the first time just released a lot of pent up sexual ten… a lot of pent up feelings," she corrected, trying to fight a blush, "I never would have done that if…"

"Raven stop," Robin said, the friendly smile never leaving his face, "I'll admit you took me totally by surprise but it wasn't something I wouldn't have wanted to happen, at least partly. Though I expected our first time to be a little further down the line, and for me to be a little more involved obviously."

Raven pulled the covers over her head and let out a moan of embarrassment, "I've never done anything like that before, ever. I don't know what came over me." As she felt Robin sit next to her she pulled the covers down enough to show her eyes.

"Don't worry about it Raven," Robin said with a smile, before his face became serious, "but we do have to talk about what happened though. Last night we didn't use any kind of protection and I…"

"I DON'T HAVE ANY DISEASES," Raven yelled before clamping both hands on her mouth and blushing deeply, surprised at her own outburst.

"I didn't think you did," Robin said with a chuckle, "I'm more worried about pregnancy."

"Oh," Raven said with a relieved sigh, "you don't have to worry about that happening. Vampires can only get pregnant on Halloween."

"Really?" Robin asked.

"Yes, thank god. The Vampire Elders cast a massive spell over the planet a couple of millennia ago so that we could only get pregnant one day a year. That way we wouldn't over populate the planet. Could you imagine what it would do to the world if every female vampire was giving birth every nine months for the rest of time? Nightmare."

"But what about turning someone into a vampire?" Robin asked, absorbing everything Raven was saying.

"That's a lot more complicated then all the stupid movies say it is," Raven said with a frown, "you can't just bite someone and turn them into a vampire like some kind of supernatural STD. If you just go out and bite some random person without doing the proper checks or ceremonies you could turn them into… something else."

An uneasy silence settled over them after Raven spoke. She still didn't know what to say after everything that had happened. She was trying to think of the right words when Robin spoke.

"So how do you feel after finally having a full stomach?"

Raven smiled despite herself, "amazing, truly amazing. Like going from prison to a five star hotel. I'd forgotten how good it feels."

"So you're happy then?" Robin asked, laughter evident in his voice.

"Absolutely," Raven said whilst getting to her knees, pulling the covers around her so she wouldn't be exposed, "I could definitely get used to this."

"You can," seeing the confusion on her face Robin continued, "when ever you need to feed you can just use me."

Raven was visibly shocked, "Robin I couldn't…"

"Yes you can Raven," Robin said seriously, "you drained me dry last night and yet I'm still here. Now I'm not saying I want you to squeeze me like an orange every morning but you can feed off me whenever you need too. It would be a lot less dangerous than biting some random stranger."

Raven could only stare at Robin in surprise and wonder, "how do you do it Robin?"

Robin smiled mischievously, "well after last night I would have thought you'd know."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Raven said, trying to will her blush away, "I mean how is it you can handle everything life has thrown at you and still be so stoic. Slade, the HIVE, Gotham's gang wars, your father's death, that stupid daydream potion, your real parents being monsters, your sex life being exposed, getting powers. Not to mention Terra and I trying to get you into a relationship and me forcing myself on you… I mean… I just don't know how you do it. If half of that happened to me I'd lose control of my emotions. And yet you're still in control. How do you do it?"

Robin thought about it for a second before answering, "Well… it's all mostly thanks to my training. I've been doing it since before I can remember. I was never really that emotional as a child, but I learned how to channel the negative feelings I did have into something more productive. Batman also taught me a lot of mental disciplines. How to stay focused in surprising situations and how to quickly weight all the pros and cons in your favour. Expect nothing, anticipate everything.

"But… whenever that didn't work, I'd just recite Invictus," Robin said simply.

"What?" Raven asked, clearly confused.

"Invictus. It's a poem," Robin said, staring at the far wall, lost in thought, "by William Henley. I had read when I was younger, when I still had time to read.

Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole.

I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears, looms but the horror of the shade.

And yet the menace of the years, finds, and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

"It just stuck with me. It seemed like the story of my life… my life in Gotham at least. And whenever things seemed like they might bury me, I'd just recite this… kind of like my own personal mantra… and I just knew it could only conquer me, if I let it. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."

Raven just stared at Robin in silent wonder. She had expected him to mention Eastern training and the Dark Knight's philosophy, but certainly not a morbid piece of poetry. He was constantly surprising her.

"So, how about some breakfast then?" Robin asked with another smile.

Raven frowned at the Boy Wonder, "I haven't even decided if I want to feed off you on a regular basis yet, though I do appreciate the offer."

"Okay, but I was talking about some actual food."

"Oh… no, thank you," Raven said, feeling a little stupid for not realising what he meant, "After drinking so much blood in one go I need a lot of sleep so my body can metabolise it properly."

"Well I actually do need to eat something," Robin said. He gave Raven a kiss on the forehead, causing her to blush again, before standing up and moving to the door, "I'm just going to borrow this towel till I get to my room."

"You're going out like that?" Raven asked, almost jumping up to try and stop him, "what if someone sees you?"

"Raven, people don't see me when I'm wearing a traffic light coloured costume, they won't see me in this," Robin said with a smirk, "besides… someone ripped up my clothes."

"Robin I… about what happened last night…" Raven said, avoiding Robin's gaze, "I think we should…"

"We can take things as slow as you want Raven," Robin said, smiling as she did, "but just so you know, even though I couldn't move, I still enjoyed last night."

Raven then had a rare moment of spontaneity, "just wait till next time Boy Wonder."

Robin stared at Raven in shock before a smile spread across his face and he left the room. Raven let a blush fill her face before falling back onto the bed and waiting for sleep to take over.

It would be a while before it did.

* * *

Beast Boy wasn't enjoying his first class of the day.

It wasn't because it was the first and that meant there was more to come, it wasn't because he sucked at geometry, and it wasn't because the teacher, Ms DeMille, obviously hated him, although they were all factors.

It was because he was nursing the mother of all hangovers.

Last night, despite it obviously being a school night, Cyborg, Aqua Lad and himself went to the meta-club 'Secret Weapons'. Beast Boy had suggested this little trip for one reason. To meet girls.

It didn't go exactly how he hoped.

Aqua Lad had a large number of girls clambering over him; even Cyborg had left the club with a girl at the end of the night. But even though Beast Boy had gotten a decent number of phone numbers (he figured it was mostly because he was famous) and despite his reputation as a horn-dog, he wasn't looking for a one nightstand this time.

He wanted a girlfriend.

So after a night of fan girls fawning over him and a little too much to drink, all he had to show for it was a blinding headache. He just wished there was somewhere else he could find a girl that would like him for him, and not just for being famous. Someone who wouldn't pretend to laugh at his stupid jokes. Someone he could take care of without being a superhero, and who would take care of him in return. Someone he could love.

Just as he finished this thought an Instant Message appeared on his computer. Every desk in every class room in the school had its own computer, donated by the Justice League to help secure Beast Boy and Starfire's admittance. They were supposed to be used for work. But most students just surfed the internet and IM'd each other between answering questions and writing essays. Every student had, thankfully, been smart enough to put their computers on mute, so the teachers wouldn't be alerted to the various annoying noises computers seemed to make.

**ZodiacGirl002:** U look like Hell!

Beast Boy looked to his left at the girl sitting two desks over and next to the window. Chloe DeMille, the daughter of their current teacher, much to her eternal shame. She had shoulder length black hair, deep, sparkling green eyes, and just a subtle amount of makeup. She also had a slight, athletic body, despite the fact she wasn't part of any of the school assorted teams. She was also incredibly down to earth, nothing like her mother as far as Beast Boy could tell. She was one of the few people he could actually talk to, without the conversation devolving into stories of his missions or what famous people he knew. And best of all, unlike most of the annoying girls in his class, she didn't want to know all the gory details about Robin or Aqua Lad. He liked that.

**PartyAnimal2000:** I'll have you know I was out saving the world last night!

**ZodiacGirl002:** what did you do? Drink Captain Jack Daniels to death?

Beast Boy laughed despite himself, earning him a glare from the teacher.

**PartyAnimal2000:** not all of him… maybe half.

**ZodiacGirl002:** lol

**PartyAnimal2000:** I actually went out with some of the Titans. We were looking for girls.

**ZodiacGirl002:** …

**ZodiacGirl002:** any luck?

**PartyAnimal2000:** no. I was looking for a girl to date not a one night stand. I should have known better than to try a night club.

**ZodiacGirl002:** …

**ZodiacGirl002:** do U want to go out with me on Saturday?

Beast Boy stared at the screen in surprise, before turning to look at the Chloe. He saw she was blushing as she turned to look out the window. He looked back at the screen just to make sure he had read it right.

**PartyAnimal2000:** like on a date?

**ZodiacGirl002:** No! I need help walking my dog!

**ZodiacGirl002:** yes on a date!!

Beast Boy chuckled to himself, earning another dirty look from the teacher, before answering.

**PartyAnimal2000:** sure.

**ZodiacGirl002:** really?

**PartyAnimal2000:** absolutely. I'll meet you at the Pizza Place at 8 and we can go from there.

**ZodicGirl002:** that's perfect. I can't wait.

Beast Boy looked across at Chloe and smiled. She smiled back nervously before looking back out the window. That was when he realised something.

He had never been out on a successful date with a girl.

He had had a few one nightstands that he had never called back, but when ever he had tried for more with a girl, they had just ended up being friends, and never got passed first base. If he was going to have more with this girl he was going to need some advice.

Then he thought of Robin. He had not only managed to have sex with Supergirl, but had also managed to stay friends with her. Not to mention Robin was probably the smartest person he knew, both book and street smarts. If anyone could help him get a girl it was definitely the Boy Wonder.

Now he'd just have to convince him to help.

That would be tougher than finding a girl.

* * *

Robin didn't feel as comfortable in his uniform as he used too. He could hardly look at himself in the mirrored doors of the wardrobe. It just seemed too… bright.

He had always had a special attachment to his uniform. Not only because of how much skill was needed to move around in something so brightly coloured and remain unseen, but because it symbolised his transition from a slightly unusual but highly trained boy, into one of the worlds best crime fighters.

Robin pushed all these thoughts from his head. Nostalgia and sentimentality weren't going to protect his friends or free Jump City of its criminals. He made a mental note to redesign it latter in the week before leaving his room and heading to the Ops-Room.

Robin moved into the kitchen area. All the counters were littered pizza boxes, takeaway boxes and empty bottles of wine, no doubt leftover from Starfire's little party last night. Deciding it was best left for the alien to clean up, Robin picked up a fork and a half filled box of chicken-fried-rice and started eating.

"Dude, I've never understood how you could eat cold leftovers," Cyborg said as he walked out of the lift to the garage with a box of donuts under his arm. He put them on the dining table before joining Robin in the kitchen.

"And I've never understood how someone who once ate a bouquet of flowers on a bet can be so picky about cold leftovers," Robin said before continuing with his meal.

"Heh, yeah," Cyborg said, smiling fondly at the memory, "I think that was the healthiest thing I've ever eaten." He then piled leftover slices of pizza and Chinese takeaway onto a plate and put it all in the microwave.

"No arguments here," Robin said with a laugh, "so did you have a good night out with Aqua Lad and Beast Boy?"

"Oh yeah," Cyborg said with a giant smile, "I just got back actually. I met a tight little blonde girl who teaches yoga at one of the local gyms. I went back to her place and almost completely drained my batteries -- she was pretty wild."

"Are you going to see her again?" Robin asked.

"Oh hell no," Cyborg said, taking his food out of microwave and sitting down at the dinning table. He waited until Robin sat down opposite him before continuing, "She was nice enough I suppose, and had a smoking body, but she kept calling me Cy-Pie."

Robin shuddered, "I just had a Kitten flashback."

"So you know what I mean," Cyborg said, quickly shovelling down half of his food before speaking again, "what about you? Did you do anything last night?"

Robin didn't want to lie to Cyborg, but he knew that Raven, and possibly Terra, didn't want what was happening between them to be advertised. He knew it had more to do with her being a vampire than anything else. That was okay with him, if Batman had taught him anything, it was how to keep a secret.

"I did fight a demon," Robin said with a shrug.

"Oh," Cyborg said with a concerned look, "did you kick his ass?"

"I vaporised his arm too," Robin said with a fond smile.

"Cool," Cyborg said, before his face became serious, "he wasn't after you because he found out about your new weird power thing was he?"

"No he wasn't," Robin said, becoming serious, "I used them once but I was well hidden. To be honest I haven't really tried to use them yet. It's probably better to figure out how they work sooner rather than later thought. I'll ask Raven when…"

"Oh damn! I almost forgot," Cyborg said suddenly, jumping to his feet and running out of the room. Robin sat in mild confusion for almost two minutes before Cyborg ran back into the room. He handed the Boy Wonder a small black leather book with "ROBIN" printed on the front in gold leaf.

"I found that on the floor of the hotel room after you were… after you were attacked," Cyborg said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I thought it was your diary or something at first. But when I realised you wouldn't take something like that out of the tower I had a look. It's from The Shade and Multi-Man."

Robin instantly opened the book, quickly reading the message on the first page…

_Robin,_

_My name is Richard Swift, but I am also known as The Shade. By now you are aware of the unusual powers passed on to you by myself and my associate Multi-Man._

_The urgency with which we must transfer these spectacular abilities to you means that we cannot ask for you permission. For this I convey my deepest apologies._

_There is however no excuse in not giving you at least some rudimentary information on how to use said abilities. Hopefully this little guide, with several entries from myself and Multi-Man, will help with your fledging powers._

_Good luck._

_Yours posthumously,_

_Richard Swift (The Shade)_

…Robin read through the introduction again just to make sure he had taken it all in. he didn't know how to feel. He was still angry about having powers forced upon him without his permission, but at least they had had the decency to leave him a guide.

"Do you think this will help?" Cyborg asked after downing the last of his food and taking the plate into the kitchen.

"It couldn't hurt," Robin said, closing the book and looking up at his friend, "I think I'll read through this before I talk to Raven. Thanks Cy."

"No problem dude," Cyborg smiled, before moving towards the door, "I'll talk to you later. I promised the others I'd take them bowling tonight and I need to charge my power cell beforehand. Do you want to join us?"

"No thanks," Robin said simply, "I think I might try patrolling tonight. See if I still have what it takes."

"Whatever floats your boat dude," Cyborg said as the automatic doors closed behind him.

Robin sat in silence for several minutes just staring at the book. A big part of him knew that he couldn't really trust criminals, especially criminals that forced powers on to him. But another part knew that he had to get his powers under control before they became a problem. He had finally made up his mind to read it when Terra walked into the room.

Terra just gave him a nervous smile before going into the kitchen and making herself a bowl of cereal. Robin just watched as she made her breakfast, a small smile on his face. Terra sat down opposite Robin, eating a few spoonfuls before looking up to see he was still staring at her.

"So…" Terra said quietly.

"So…" Robin said with a smile.

"I… want to apologise for last night," Terra said with a sigh.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I tend to be forward with people I like, incredibly forward even, and the kisses were probably a mistake, not that I didn't enjoy them, they were great, fantastic even, I mean you might not have liked them, but I hope you did, but I understand if you didn't, I just mean oh god shut up Terra," she said, covering her face with her hands as Robin chuckled.

"I enjoyed last night Terra," Robin said with a laugh, "if it wasn't for the demon I'm sure it would have just gotten better."

"So what did you do last night?" Terra said as she ate a spoonful of cereal, desperately hoping to change the subject.

"I had sex with Raven," Robin said simply.

Terra choked on her cereal, coughing and sputtering as Robin chuckled. It was almost five minutes before Terra had regained enough composure to speak.

"What?" she asked, "are you kidding me? When did this happen? How did this happen?"

So Robin told her the whole story. Raven needing to feed. Offering himself to break the curse. Raven finally agreeing. The feeding. And Raven's… surprise. When he finally finished Terra just sat there with a shocked expression.

"I just… I can't believe she did that."

"Well we knew she couldn't kill me if she drank my blood. Convincing her to feed wasn't that…"

"No, I mean Raven pouncing on you," Terra said, her eyes still wide, "I never expected it from her. I mean I can barely even get her to use toys and…" Terra blushed heavily and clasped her hands over her mouth as she realised what she just blurted out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said then, my mind was wondering," Robin said kindly.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Terra smiled thankfully, before smirking mischievously, "but don't think you're going to get me into bed that easily mister. I need to be wined and dined a bit first."

"I'll keep that in mind," Robin smiled.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Terra said as she put her bowl in the sink, "I think I'll go and get all the juicy details from Raven."

"I think she's sleeping," Robin said.

Terra smirked, "tire her out did you?"

"Not me, just my blood," Robin chuckled, "she needs to time to metabolise it all apparently."

"Then I think I'll go check on her," Terra moved towards the door. Then stopped and said, almost shyly, "I'll see you latter."

Robin smiled, "absolutely."

* * *

There is a mansion on the outskirts of Jump City that almost no one knows about. It sits deep in the woods. In a clearing surrounded by overgrown trees. The mansion had stood since before the civil war, though it had been updated since then with electricity, phone lives and indoor plumbing. It sports over a hundred rooms, including dinning room, ballroom, library, indoor swimming pool, a large communal bathing room, sauna and twenty car garage converted from the old stables. This extravagant house is not owned by an eccentric millionaire or reclusive actor however, but by a Vampire Lord.

A Vampire Lord is, basically, the mayor of the supernatural beings in Jump City appointed by the Vampire Elders. It is their job to keep vampires and other creatures from exposing themselves to the world and to keep their breeding in check. After that they can do what they like with the city.

The inside of the mansion was not as impressive as first time visitors would think. There were no antique furnishings, crystal chandeliers or grand pianos in this house. None of the furniture was more than five years old, all of it flat-packed or out of catalogues. With all of the supernatural killers, vampire hunters and Vatican based slayers out to destroy vampires' covens by any means necessary; it didn't pay to fill their homes with anything expensive.

In the master bathroom, which had recently been refurbished by a group of hypnotised humans, sat a brand new Jacuzzi. Filled to the brim with virginal blood. The Vampire Lord Corinthian Nightchild, Nocturnal-Mayor of Jump City, lay at the bottom of the Jacuzzi absorbing the blood through the pores in his skin, deep in thought.

He had had such plans. He had walked the earth for almost three millennia, spending centuries at a time building up his various powers and magics. He had only become a Vampire Lord five years ago after defeating the previous Lord, an ostentatious vampire who had named himself Crimson-Blade. Giving oneself a striking or poetic name was something a lot of powerful vampires did, Lord Nightchild always thought doing so was too pretentious. It had been a long, dangerous life since he had been turned into a vampire. But it had all been part of the plan. With the Vampire Lord title under his belt he was going to build himself a secret army, start turning the metas that seemed to infest the city, takeout the Vampire Elders and bring the world to heel. But that all changed when the Teen Titans came to town.

He hadn't believed what his scouts had told him about these teens, so he had gone out to watch these five children fight crime, personally. And it had worried him. The alien strumpet that had a childlike naivety, but the power of a star flowing through her veins that she barely even used. The machine clad moor, that if decided to turn his technological know-how towards vampires could devastate their numbers. The infected changeling, with the whole menagerie of nature at his disposal. The warrior, their leader, the human who could obliterate metahumans as if they were children, who was suspected to have ties with the demon Etrigan. But even though he was weary of the Titans and what they could do to his plans, he knew that he could take them all if he handled them individually.

The only one he feared was the spawn of Skath.

Though he would never admit this to any other creature in all of existence. When he first saw her, he was terrified. Here was this girl, with powerful demonic heritage that allowed her to walk in the sun light, who even though she consumed barely enough blood a week to live, still had enough power to destroy a vampire millennia old. And she hadn't even seen her first century yet. Terrifying, and at the same time infuriating.

Lord Nightchild's plans were in the toilet while she was around doing her hero work. The only bit of good news to come out of the whole situations was the curse. While the curse was on the demon child she wouldn't be getting any stronger, not physically at least. He had practically cried with joy when his spies had told him that.

So with this information he had set about making himself strong enough to challenge Skath's Princess. He had battled Thor's Fury on the coast of Greenland. Slaughtered the Brotherhood of the Shattered Emerald in Saint Petersburg. Tore out the Pale Duke's throat in Dublin. And, to his own eternal joy, he had managed to catch the supposedly "great" Death's Wings in his apartment in Washington DC, and smother him in his sleep.

He was almost ready to face her, another month and he would wipe her from the face of the earth. There were a couple of more vampires he had to take out first. Some for their powers, others for more… personal reasons. With her power flowing through him, his plans to take out the Elders could jump forward a millennia or two.

Nightchild's blood bath was interrupted as he felt the aura of one of his spies as they entered the room. He fully stood up in the bath, the blood on his skin absorbing in until it was its regular milky white. The spy, though he looked fifteen had been in Nightchild's services for five hundred years after the Lord had turned him personally. He wore a black motorbike helmet and black leather clothing that covered his whole body; this costume protected him from the sun glare, as most of the people he spied on could move about freely in the day.

"What news do you have Herod?" Lord Nightchild asked.

"Skath's Princess has not fed this week my lord," Herod said, bowing low to his master, "she did not have the chance to feed at the club last night with the daemon's interruption and she did not appear for her daily meditation on Titan's Tower roof this morning."

Nightchild nodded along with the report. He had been at the club last night, saw Skath's Princess enter with her human companions and the battle that followed with the monstrosity. Further proving the threat that she and her team mates posed. But the part about not feeding was what really caught his attention. He had though something like this had happened a few months ago. He had gotten very excited only to find out she had fed off a team mate.

But this time it could be different. If she hadn't appeared for her meditation, then she might not have fed off a team member. If that hadn't happened then she would have slipped into a regenerative coma for the next twenty-four hours, while her body built up enough energy for her to go out and feed. Leaving her vulnerable.

Nightchild decided it was worth the risk… or at least, worth risking his men over. Even if she was healthy, his men could issue the Vampire Duel for next month, something no vampire could refuse.

"Well done Herod," Lord Nightchild smiled, showing off his fangs, "there are twenty teenagers locked up in the basement. Help yourself to any three you like."

"Thank you my lord," Herod bowed, before turning around and leaving the room.

Nightchild sent out a psychic pulse to Caleb, one of his lieutenants. He had had to stop Caleb from attacking the warrior and the geomancer in the club last night. It would have drawn far too much attention to himself. Caleb wasn't happy about it. Making him the perfect man for this mission. He entered his bedroom and put on a robe. He walked around his four-poster bed, the only finely build piece of furniture in the mansion, and opened one of the draws on his flat-pack dresser. He pulled out a smooth silver stone with magical glyphs carved across it. He whispered his words into it and it glowed slightly.

Caleb entered the room, the pout on his face barely concealed by his long hair hanging loose, "how can I serve you my lord?"

"Now, now Caleb stop that pouting," Nightchild teased with a smile, "I have a mission that I think you will enjoy… I want you to invade Titan's Tower. Tonight."

Caleb's face lit up, "really my lord?"

Nightchild chuckled at the predictability, "yes, really. I need you to gather a group of your best men and invade the tower. Find the demon spawn. If she has entered the regenerative coma bring her to me unharmed. If she isn't give her this," Nightchild handed Caleb the stone, then his smile widened, "you can do what you want with the rest of them."

Caleb however only heard the part about doing what he wanted to with the rest, already mentally planning what he would do to Robin and Terra. "I'll get a group together right now my lord," he said, running out of the room before his master could excuse him.

Nighchild laughed out loud. Caleb's enthusiasm would be his downfall. He doubted Caleb would last the night, even if the demon child was in a coma. But that didn't matter. Caleb and his men were expendable.

All that mattered was his plan.

* * *

Robin sat on the edge of the roof of Titan's Tower watching the sunset. He was supposed to be reading the book left to him by the men that gave him his powers. But so far all he had been able to do was skim through it. With the new powers, Raven and Terra, his parents, it was too many emotional problems to think about. And he didn't know how to solve emotional problems.

Robin stopped skimming when he came across a section written by Multi-Man…

_Your New Powers_

_This couldn't be simpler. After you come back from the dead a new power will be added to the ones you will already have. To find out what this power is, simply close your eyes. You should see a little white light (or multiple white lights if you have been killed a few times before you get to try this). If you focus on said lights (one at a time) it will seem to fly towards you. Once it fills your vision you will instantly know what the power is and how to turn it on and off. However learning how to use these powers in every day life will be entirely up to you._

…Robin closed the book. Could it really be that simple?

He put down the book and closed his eyes. Seeing two lights floating in the darkness. He focused on the first one as it quickly engulfed his vision.

"Electrical discharge," Robin said. He opened his eyes and quickly pulled off his gloves. He held his hands a couple of inches apart. On his mental command electricity sparked between them. A small smile graced Robin's face as he thought of the possibilities. Now he would definitely have to redesign his uniform. His current uniform blocked electricity.

With his success in hand, Robin closed his eyes and tried the next one. "Colour change," he said as he looked at his hands. With a simple thought his hands changed from his natural skin colour to bright green and back again. Robin spent the next half-hour changing his hands to different colours; even making his right hand one colour and his left another. Though it didn't have as many uses as the electrical power he could still see a use for this one, if only to go undercover with. He could look tanned one minute and sickly pale the next.

Robin sat in thought for a while, just considering the various uses these powers could have and how he could design his new uniform to help foster them. He picked up the book again and was about to read about The Shade's powers when he was interrupted.

"Hello Friend-Robin," Starfire said as she floated down and sat next to him. Her skin was glowing, matching the sky around the setting sun as if her shape had been cut from it.

"Hello Star," Robin smiled, as the alien's good natured joy washed over him, "how was school?"

"Glorious," Starfire beamed, "I have just finished watching the Cheering Leaders perform their show. They preformed their moves with the same grace as you."

Robin's smile widened slightly, "and what about last night? You had some friends over. You weren't too hung over for school were you?"

"None of earths fermented, alcoholic, grape drinks can bring down a mighty Tamaranean," she said as she held her arms up in a muscle pose. Robin chuckled softly, he stopped however when he saw the serious look on the princess's face, "I did not come here to talk of such things though. I wish to know how you are doing."

"Me? I'm fine Star, I…" Robin stopped talking as Starfire placed a hand on his.

"Friend-Robin I want to help you," Starfire said with a comforting smile, "please let me."

Robin was about to do his customary blow off, like he had always done with his friends. But he stopped himself. His friends cared about him. Cyborg, in his own way, wanted to know how his life was going, Starfire always wanted to make sure he was okay, even Beast Boy wanted everyone to laugh, albeit unsuccessfully. They deserved better than being blow off.

"There are a few things bothering me Star," Robin said with a sigh, "too many things really. I don't have the emotional range to deal with it all and I quite frankly don't want to depress you."

"Why don't you just tell me the problem that is bothering you the most," Starfire said with a warm smile.

"I… I'm worried I won't be able to have a proper relationship with…" Robin paused to wipe his hand down his face, "…well with anyone, but mostly with a girl."

"Is that because you prefer one-night-stands?" Starfire asked with a smile.

Robin was taken back, he had forgotten that Starfire could surprise him, "you know what a one-night-stand is?"

Starfire gave him a condescending smile, "I am not as stupid as people think Friend-Robin. I am just learning about an alien culture in an alien language on an alien planet. Most of the people on this planet can barely speak their native language. I think I am doing quite well."

Robin looked straight into Starfire's eyes, "I don't think you're stupid Star."

Starfire leaned over and kissed the Boy Wonder on the cheek, "I know you don't Robin. And just so you know, one-night-stands are not something native to this planet. It is a universal constant, like light, gravity and females going to the bathroom in groups."

Robin laughed out loud, relaxing more into the conversation, "well to answer your question, no it's not because I prefer one-night-stands. It's just… I've kept my emotions buried for so long that I'm not even sure how to use them any more…"

"Robin I don't think…"

"That's not all," Robin interrupted, "I also just found out who my parents are… my birth parents. And they aren't nice people not by a long shot. I'm worried how much I'm like them… how much I'm like my father."

Starfire sat in silence for a few minutes, just staring at Robin, before she finally spoke, "he is Slade is he not?"

Robin was taken back again; he couldn't stop the shock from showing on his face, "how…? I mean, how…?" Robin couldn't even form the words, he just never expected Starfire to figure it when Raven and Terra didn't.

"I… I noticed a few similarities between you both and… well… after what he put you through… after what he put us all through…" Starfire said with a frown, "only he being your father… could affect you like this."

Robin just sat there, quietly looking at Starfire, "I'm just worried that I'm like him… even if it's only a small part and…"

Robin was interrupted as Starfire hugged him. Not one of her usual bone crushing hugs, but a soft comforting one. And, for the first time that Robin could ever remember doing, he hugged back.

"You are nothing like him Friend-Robin," Starfire said softly into his ear, "you have proved that. He tried to make you as twisted as he is and you still put the lives of your friends before your own. You have a heart bigger than this planets sun and twice as warm. You could have been like every other teenager on this planet, or like Slade, yet you decided to save lives. And when you have dug up all of your emotions you will make a lucky girl feel truly glorious. I don't believe this is true. I know it is true."

Robin just whispered, "thank you."

They hugged for another few minutes before finally breaking apart and smiling at each other.

"Can we keep this between us Star?" Robin asked, "I'm not sure the others will react to the news that Slade is my father quite as well as you have. I'd like to ease them into it."

"Of course Friend-Robin," Starfire smiled, before floating up onto her feet, "I must go now. I must give Matthew a bath before we all go bowling. Would you like to join us? Apparently we roll heavy balls down a wooden lane at wooden statuettes. It sounds most enjoyable."

"No, I'm going to out on patrol tonight and see if I still have what it takes, but thank you Star," Robin smiled. He watched the princess move towards the roof access before calling out to her. "I'm not just afraid that I might become like him. I'm also worried that if I get in a relationship… he'll come after them."

"And when he does," Starfire said with a confident smile, "we will make him sorry he ever had such thoughts." and with a final bright smile, she disappeared down the stairs.

Robin turned back to the sunset, feeling, for the first time since he found out, okay with being his parents child.

* * *

Brother Blood's personal office wasn't like the rest of the HIVE institute, with its canary yellow and black beehive motif. No, his office looked like it had been pulled straight out of a Victorian manor. Oak wood panelled walls, high bookshelves, plush red carpeting, antique chairs and a large mahogany desk. The only things in the room that looked modern were the voice activated mini-rail guns concealed in the ceiling, the hi-tech computer on the desk, the 200 inch LCD wide-screen with inbuilt video phone mounted on the wall behind the desk, the duel barrelled blaster taped to the underside of the desk and, of course, Brother Blood himself.

He was currently going over the HIVE's financial records that had just been updated since his student's last job with Slade. Despite the cost of hiring a reputable medical team to fix most of the team's perforated eardrums and their shattered teeth, not to mention the mess Mammoth was in, the coffers were exceedingly full.

Brother Blood rubbed his hands together with glee. With this money he could go on another recruitment drive and get some fresh blood. He could update the training rooms and improve the robots. But first he'd get that mansion in Monte Carlo he had had his eye on, or that Van-Gogh painting he liked, maybe even a couple of high class hookers, girls no one would miss.

Maybe he'd even hire some professionals to find Jinx. The team wasn't working as well without her. It wouldn't take much power to get her back into her leadership role. Or maybe he'd just have his way with her. Her body had been driving him crazy for a while. He couldn't do anything while she was with the team as most of the members were her friends, and it was hard enough controlling so many children when they liked you. But now he would be able to do what he wanted with her.

He was interrupted from his thoughts of bending a girls mind will and violating her mind and body by a knock on his office door. Before he could respond the door was opened and Psimon stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me Headmaster," Psimon said, his voice lacking any kind of respect.

Though his face was devoid of emotion, on the inside Brother Blood was furious. He had accepted Psimon into the HIVE almost a month ago with high hopes. The boy displayed powers beyond anything Blood had ever seen in anyone who wasn't a 'good guy' and he had gotten the highest scores in his initial trials of any student admitted. Ever. But the Headmaster's excitement over his new student soon ended.

Psimon rarely turned up to his classes, he took almost no active involvement in any of the missions he was sent on, he showed no respect to any of the faculty, and, Brother Blood suspected at least, he was using his powers to control some of his fellow students.

But that wasn't what bothered the Headmaster the most. What really annoyed him was the fact that Psimon resisted every attempt to control him. Blood's powers just seemed to roll of the boy like a light breeze. But that was when he was trying to control him and the rest of the student body at the same time. Now they were alone together, Blood was confident he could force his way through the boy's formidable mental defences.

"I have to say that you haven't been living up to expectations Psimon," Brother Blood said with a fabricated concerned smile.

"Well I'm sorry to hear that Headmaster," Psimon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "what ever can I do to rectify this problem?"

"You don't have to do anything child," Blood smirked, "I'll take care of everything."

Before Psimon could respond Brother Blood's eyes flashed with crimson energy. His blood red aura flaring up around him instantly as he poured all of his power into the boys mind.

It was the first of two disastrous mistakes Brother Blood would make today.

The power was blasted back into Brother Blood's mind with enough force to knock him off his chair. Blood rolled about on the floor in the fetal position, clutching his head in agony. What felt like a thousand daggers stabbing into his brain, burning with the intensity of a sun, the pain of it was too much for him to even scream. He took in quick, short, ragged breaths as blood leaked from his eyes and ears.

Psimon quietly stood up, casually straightening his clothes and brushing the creases out of his jumper. He walked out of the room, leaving Blood on the floor. He soon returned, a six foot, gold framed standing mirror floating in behind him as the door closed on its own. With a flash of his power the desk skidded across the room and into the wall, leaving the centre of the room clear. He put the mirror down a few feet in front of Brother Blood, before crouching down to smile calmly at him.

"You really shouldn't have tried that Headmaster," Psimon smiled; sound like he was playfully reprimanding a child.

The pain in his head lessened enough for Brother Blood to speak, "how… how did you… do that? My… my power is…"

"Your power is a gift," Psimon said, his face becoming deadly serious, "A generous gift passed on to all the males of your blood line. A gift that you have used for your own personal gain. A gift that can be taken away."

Brother Blood glared at Psimon, breathing through clenched teeth. He tried to say the words to activate the mini rail guns, but every time he tried to form them in his mind they were scattered away with more pain. Psimon was a step ahead. Building up the last of his strength, Blood lunged, grabbing the collar of Psimon's jumper and tearing the front of it open. What the Headmaster saw there terrified him.

In the centre of Psimon's chest, right above his heart, was the mark of four red eyes. They momentarily flashed and Brother Blood felt pain like nothing he was receiving from Psimon. Every fibre of his being felt like it was burning and freezing at the same time. It finally stopped as Psimon moved away and stood next to the mirror.

In the mirror the shadow of a man appeared, featureless in every way. As he moved closer to the glass four red eyes flared to life on his face, glowing sinisterly. The temperature in the room increased rapidly to oppressive levels. Brother Blood started sweating profusely, either from the heat or from fear he couldn't tell.

"Lord Skath," Brother Blood said, the colour draining from his face, "I… I just…"

**_"Lord Skath? Oh I haven't been called that in centuries,"_** the shadow man chuckled, **_"these days I am mostly called… Lord Trigon."_**

"I just… I just never believed…" Brother Blood pleaded, tears and blood streaming down his face, "I thought you were something my father made up… a cautionary tale he told me to keep me inline…"

_**"You should have really listened to your father,"**_ Trigon said, his eyes flashing, **_"Children should always listen to their fathers."_**

"I… I just… I…"

**_"You have abused your gifts Brother Blood,"_** Trigon said, crouching down to look the Headmaster in the face, **_"sending your "students" out on missions to train them is all well and good, but spending the money you received on property and whores instead of improving the would-be-soldiers wasn't smart. I'm all for my disciples exploring their hedonistic desires, but not when it works against my plans."_**

"Please… please my lord," Brother Blood choked out, trying, and failing, to will his body to move, "I didn't know… I didn't believe… but… but now that I do… I will serve you… I will train your army… please…"

**_"I'm afraid it's too late for that,"_** Trigon said as he stood up, **_"you have become too accustomed to giving orders but not receiving them. I've already found your replacement."_**

The door to the office opened as Trigon finished talking. Sebastian Blood, Brother Blood's albino son, walked into the room. He looked as weak and sickly as he always did, swaying slightly as he knelt before the mirror bowing his head.

"Sebastian?" Brother Blood asked Trigon, "but he is far too sickly to do anything. He does not even have any mind powers."

**_"He doesn't need them,"_** Trigon said.

He held his shadowy palm towards Sebastian. Crimson energy shot out of the mirror, surrounding Sebastian in a magical aura and lifting him off the ground, his arms spread out at his sides. He stayed there for half a minute before the energy stopped and Sebastian landed softly on his feet, steam rising from his body.

"Sebastian?" Brother Blood asked, the pain finally leaving his body so that he could get up on to his knees, "are… are you okay son?"

Sebastian turned to his father, looking just like he always had, "I'm fine father, I've never been better."

Brother Blood stood up, face to face with his son, looking him up and down. As Sebastian held his arms wide open, the Headmaster begrudgingly accepted his son's hug.

This was Brother Blood's second, and final, mistake.

The teeth in Sebastian's mouth instantly lengthened into fangs as he bit into his father's neck. Brother Blood couldn't even scream as his own blood splattered down his robes and drained into his son's throat. Sebastian kept drinking until his father was dead. He dropped the lifeless corpse to the ground, licking the blood from his lips. The sounds of his muscles stretching and his tendons popping filled the room as his muscles grew bigger, denser, stronger. His eyes flashed with crimson energy as his brain power increased, psychic powers spreading across his frontal lobes.

"I have tasted his blood," Sebastian said as he looked down at his father with a twisted smile, "now his power is mine."

"Brother Blood is dead," Psimon said as he pulled the robes off the body and place them on Sebastian's shoulders. They both stood before the mirror, getting down on one knee and bowing their heads.

A large, blood red, fanged smile appeared on Trigon's shadow form as he looked down on his disciples.

_**"Long live Brother Blood."**_

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This chapter had a lot of emotion in it… a lot more than I intended if I'm honest… and I'm not as happy with it as I would like. I just feel like it's missing… something. Something I can't put my finger on. But it has been five months since my last chapter and I had to post something… I hope you all still enjoyed it.

After reading the poem I included, some of you are probably thinking I'm well read and educated… I'm not. I actually heard Invictus on an episode of One Tree Hill and thought "I'm nicking that!"

**Next Chapter:** While Robin is out on patrol and Raven sleeps, Terra must fend off a vampire attack and Robin has a few ssuprise enocunters of his own.


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